Hazardous Situations
by Efa Aurora
Summary: With the destruction of the beacon, Commander Shepard has no choice but to stop Saren's forces herself. Will one spectre and her crew be enough to stop an entire geth army, and the coming invasion?
1. Prologue

A/N: Well, here goes nothing. After reading a lot of mass effect fanfic, I finally decided to give it a go myself. Since this is my first attempt at writing anything for entertainment, this could either god really well, or really badly. Fingers crossed. While I have no in just repeat the games for the entire story, please understand that I need to find my feet first, and there may be revision coming if I decide I can do a better job somewhere. Hopefully along the way, I'll gain the confidence to start adding plot arks, and fill a few holes that have always bugged me about the games, but for now at least, I haven't decided exactly what direction we're headed.

But for now, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I am writing it.

* * *

**Prologue**

"So what about Zabaleta? He's seen a lot of action, never failed a mission, and he understands that casualties are unavoidable."

"He's hardly the ideal candidate. He'd rather kill his target than take them alive. Doesn't have a problem with civilian casualties either. Seems he blames the alliance for what happened to his father after Mindoir."

"Sometimes a heavy hand is required Captain, surely you know that better than anyone else here."

Anderson refused to comment on the subtle prod at his own history. "And a level head is always a requirement, surely you understand that... Ambassador." He took a deep breath, unwilling to raise his voice to try to make his point. "Sending a soldier out seeking revenge isn't going to win us a lot of support with the Council, or any race for that matter."

The ambassador glared back at the captain. Unwilling to let the captain pass over his candidate so easily, he couldn't help but let some of his dislike for the captain slip into his tone. "We're looking at soldiers here, not bloody fairies. Show me one candidate that can weigh the consequences of their actions, and I'll consider them."

Both men looked to the same side as the sound of a cough crossed the room, having almost forgotten the admiral was present.

"What about Shepard, she excelled through her N7 training, one of the few to achieve the N7 rank. Her actions on Elysium alone can prove her ability. She -"

"Just another jar head. All she did was kill a lot of batarians, I don't see how that shows any understanding of repercus-"

Anderson slammed, a fist slamming down onto the table between the ambassador and himself, unable to stop his own anger seeping into his voice. "She attends every memorial for that attack, speaks each time about how she regrets being unable to save everyone. I attended the last one myself. Even blames herself the alliance's attack on Torfan, despite being in the N7 program at the time. She's the only reason that colony is still standing! Damn it Udina, give me two more like her, and I'd have the perfect squad!"

The admiral cleared his throat to regain the attention of the two men arguing in front of him. "She was raised on military posting by her mother. Her father died while she was young ensuring the crew of the Makalu made it to off ship. She understands the meaning of duty. Her commanders always report they feel she gets to know her squad too personally, but there's never been a report of misconduct, to even a complaint to her name. She might be a soldier, but she's a shining example of humanity and the alliance."

Udina nodded slowly at the admiral, "I'll make the call."

A fourth figure stepped forward, placing himself at the empty side of the table. "She sounds ideal, I'll contact the Council to voice my support, and then head to the Sol system. I want to see her for myself. This mission should provide the ideal opportunity to do so."

Captain Anderson raised himself from his seat, addressing the admiral and ambassador. "I'd better see to the readiness of my ship. I'll depart as soon as Shepard is aboard." He looked at the fourth figure in the room. "I'll see you aboard the Normandy tomorrow hopefully Nihlus, this will probably be the fastest deployment she's ever had."

With that, the captain left the room, followed by Nihlus, each heading to begin their own preparations.

Udina looked back at the admiral, clearly unhappy with the outcome. "So what do you think Hackett. Is our alien friend being honest with us, or is this turian just trying to make a mockery out of us like the last time."

The admiral looked down at the table and shook his head, "He's doing what he believes is best, just like we are. I see no reason to doubt him, and the Council obviously trusts him".

"Yes, that's what worries me..." With that, Udina rose and left the table, glancing back at Hackett before he left the small conference room. "I'll leave you to your fleet, Admiral."

* * *

Shepard shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not that it was really possible to be comfortable on a plastic bench. All the credits spent building Arcturus Station, and the waiting areas still look like civilian transport hubs. The heavily armed turian sitting across from her did nothing to put her at ease, even without his almost surgical glances.

Finally, the door to the waiting room opens to reveal her new commanding officer with two marines on his heels. Shepard bolted to her feet, giving Anderson a salute, unable to hide the small smile now clearly visible on her face.

Anderson dismissed her salute with a casual wave and a grin. "You're not going all formal on me again are you Shepard, I though we finally stamped that one out after I dumped your ass in the N7 program."

Shepard let her smile widen into a mischievous grin, before replying "No captain!" before relaxing to parade rest. She knew full well he didn't consider her a subordinate, but she had no plan of giving up their running joke."It's good to see you again David." She nodded to the two marines flanking the captain before throwing a duffel bag over one shoulder. "Reporting for duty, Sir."

Anderson sighed at her insistent use 'Sir', she wasn't going to let up. "Just get on board, Shepard. We're almost ready to leave the station, seems our pilot got rather attached to her on the flight over." He now looked past her to the unfortunately neglected turian. "Spectre Kryik, good to see you again. If you're ready to board, we should probably get under way."

Shepard had frozen on her path towards the dock at the word 'Spectre', and starting watching the pair. "Hold on, I thought you said you were an adviser to the Turian Hierarchy."

The turian looked at her with a look that made her feel as though he was memorizing everything about her and her actions. "That is correct, I am her to serve as an adviser. The Council has taken a great interest in this 'shake down', as you call it." With that he looked back to the captain, "If you'll allow me, I'll meet you on board captain." Anderson nodded in response "And please, Nihlus will do." And with that he strode through the door towards the docks.

Shepard shook her head in disbelief. Surely this wasn't the same turian that had been on the shuttle from Jump Zero. He hadn't even been armed, at least not visibly. Looking back at Anderson, she realized he was now walking back to his ship, and ran a couple of steps to fall into rank behind him, smiling deviously. "So a spectre huh... guess I'd better be on my best behavior"

Anderson couldn't help but let out a laugh, "A lot of good that'll do you." He'd missed her sense of humor. "It's been too long Shepard." He might have assembled the best crew in the alliance, but now he knew he had the best marine in the alliance on his heels, and a close friend.


	2. All According to Plan

A/N: As you'll be able to tell from this chapter, I've decided to replace the regenerating ammo of the first game, with thermal clips from the later 2. I have no problem with either in the games, but it proves hard to justify in the continuity, especially Shepard magically knowing about them after being dead for 2 years in the second game.

* * *

**Enjoying Hazardous Situations**

**Chapter 1 - All According to Plan**

Shepard stepped out of the stairway onto the bridge, now wearing her N7 armour. One of the few possessions she owned, most of which were military issue, the armour included. Confidently walking the length of the CIC, she made her way towards the pilot as his voice came through the comm.

"Approach vector acquired"

Carefully dodging crew members seeing to the operation of the ship, she steps up behind the pilot's seat beside the turian already present. The ship continued to glide towards a giant structure before them, beginning to pulse with energy, a sight she always found humbling. All the advances humanity had made, and there were things in the universe still so far beyond their scope.

"Jump in three... two... one..."

The ship rapidly accelerated well beyond the speed of light, hurling towards a relay almost twenty light-years away.

"All systems green, emission sinks engaged. Drift... just under fifteen hundred k."

Shepard was surprised when Nihlus spoke, but remained stoic, simply observing the galaxy flying past. "Fifteen hundred is good, your captain will be pleased." With that, he turned and headed off towards the comm room.

Once Nihlus was out of earshot Joker spoke up again, "I hate that guy."

The marine seated in the copilots seat glanced over at him. "Nihlus gave you a compliment, so... you hate him."

"Remember to zip up you jumpsuit coming out of the bathroom, that's good, and more than some of us can manage Kaidan." Kaidan couldn't help but look down at this comment, while Joker just continued with his speech "I just jumped up half way across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pin head, so that's incredible. Besides Spectres are trouble, I don't like having him about. Call me paranoid."

"You're paranoid, the Council helped fund this project, and it's a joint design between the Alliance and Turian Hierarchy. You can't blame them for wanting to see where their money and effort's gone."

"Ye, says the guy that couldn't remember if he zipped up his jump suit."

Shepard chose this moment to end the verbal duel. "I knew the alliance would regret hiring children, so much for presentable officers." She smiled slightly to herself as the two officers stiffened up, apparently having forgotten she was there. "Kaidan, you know full well that the Council has lower level advisers they would send on a shake down, something else is defiantly going on. Joker, if you haven't been told, then assume it's need to know, but I don't know any more than you do."

Joker opened his mouth to respond, but froze as the comm beeped, the captain's voice coming from it. "Joker, update!"

"We've cleared the relay sir, eta to the Utopia system, five minutes."

"Good, find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want reports sent to the Alliance before we reach Eden Prime."

"Yes sir. Heads up, I think Nihlus is headed your way"

Anderson replied, clearly annoyed by Joker's remark, "He's already here. Shepard, please report to the comm room." before cutting the comm off.

The comm clicked off before she had a chance to reply. "Thank you very much Joker. You get to sit up here with your lovely new star ship, and I have to go get a briefing from the CO that you just pissed off." She couldn't help but smile as she said it, knowing Joker would take the bait.

"Hey, the captain always sounds like that."

Kaidan quickly responded "Only when he's talking to you." failing completely at any attempt to stop himself from smiling as he said it.

At that Shepard turned about, deciding she was going to rather enjoy working with this crew.

* * *

As she stepped into the comm room, the first thing she noticed was the lone turian in the room, and no captain.

Nihlus turned around at hearing the door opening. "Ah, Shepard, I hoped you'd get here first. This world we're going to, Eden Prime, I'm quite curious. What do you know about it?"

Shepard stared caught off guard, "Er, well it's generally described as a paradise, although it's just a small farming colony."

"Yes, I hear it's become quite the symbol to your people. Proof that humanity can not only colonize other worlds, but defend them as well."

Shepard frowned at this last comment. "If you're trying to say something, then just say it. Don't dance around the point with me."

"I think it's time we told Shepard what's really going on."

Shepard jumped in surprise, hearing the captain behind her. "Sir!" she saluted out of surprise more than believing she needed to. "Er, what's going on?"

To Shepard's surprise, Anderson glanced at Nihlus waiting for him to respond. "This mission if far more than a simple shade down cruise."

"With all due respect, that was hardly difficult to figure out. A Council spectre wouldn't be required for anything so simple. Not to mention shadowing me on the transport to Arcturus."

"I was curious if you'd notice, most humans seem to struggle to tell the difference between turians."

"Right, and how does that explain what's actually going on."

Anderson stepped up to the console,and pulled up a series of images taken on Eden Prime. "During an expansion to the colony, they have uncovered a prothean beacon. They have a science team examining it, but they don't have the facilities to deal with something this big. We're under orders to transport it to the Citadel."

"Well, I guess that explains the need for secrecy and Nihlus being here. If this turns out to be anything like the archive on Mars, everyone will want to get hold of it." She turned to look Nihlus directly in the eyes, "An extra gun certainly wouldn't hurt, but it doesn't explain why you were on that shuttle though."

Flaring his mandibles in what she could only assume was a grin, Nihlus looked over at the captain, waiting for him to reply. "He's evaluating you Shepard."

Shepard just looked back to him confused, "Evaluating me, for what sir?"

"The Spectres. We're an elite group Shepard, it's rare to find an individual with the right skill."

Shepard looked at Nihlus speechless for a second, before finding her voice."Sir? I take it this is good for the alliance?"

Anderson nodded before replying. "The alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. They want to make more of an impact in the galaxy, and this is a significant step."

"Well, I guess I should-"

"Captain!" Joker's voice interrupted her through the comm, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Transmission from Eden Prime, you're going to want to hear this!".

"Put it through Joker"

All three of them turned to look at the screen as the image flicked on replacing the model of the beacon. Guns were firing in every direction while soldiers tried find cover and identify their attackers. One soldier running towards the soldier that sent the transmission shouting 'Get down' while pushing them to the ground. As the camera turned up it appeared as though a Black hand was reaching down towards the colony a few clicks in the distance. The soldiers all fell silent as they saw it before the transmission ended.

Jokers voice came over the comm again. "Cuts out after that sir, no transmissions at all. The whole colony just goes dead"

"Reverse and hold at thirty-eight point five."

The blank screen was replaced by the transmission rewinding to pause at a still image of the hand reaching towards to colony.

"Nihlus, I assume you want to join the ground team" The turian nods in response, his eyes not leaving the Monitor in front of it. "Good, meet us in the cargo bay in fifteen minutes. Commander, tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up. We have to retrieve that beacon."

* * *

The smell of smoke hung heavy in the ear, despite their distance from the main colony. Thick black clouds of it hung in the sky blocking out the sunlight. Gunfire sounded in the distance, completing the image of the now war zone.

Shepard looked at the marine on each side of her. "Well it still beats the air on the ship. Move out."

They didn't even make it to the foot of the small hill they had landed on before movement caught their eye. A balloon like creature floating away from the sound of gunfire. Partially out of curiosity Kaidan slowed to ask Jenkins, "What are those things, they just... float."

Since Jenkins was raised on Eden Prime, and was familiar with the native wildlife, he answered instantly. "Gas bags sir. They're harmless, unless you puncture them. Best to keep your distance if you can."

Kaidan nodded in thanks, "Always something new I guess."

The group continued toward the dig site where the beacon was discovered. Despite the need to use cover, Jenkins was getting impatient and starting to get careless. The sight of his home burning around him was getting him agitated while he was unable to stop it. As the group neared a corner in their path Shepard indicated for him to move forward to cover them. He ran out past a rock outcrop, giving Shepard enough time to curse and start running towards him before Jenkins shields flared up.

Two turrets skimmed through a group of trees ahead, raining shots down on Jenkins, easily cutting through his shields. Shots continued hitting their mark, piercing his armour, causing blood to start seeping through the joints in his armour. Shepard tore out of cover, her assault rifle lighting up the instant she spotted her target. Kaidan quickly followed to find both drones already damaged, unable to target Shepard fast enough. One exploded in a shower of sparks as the second managed to force her into cover, until Kaidan overloaded it with his omni-tool.

Once they decided the area was secure, they both stepped towards Jenkins, Shepard's hud showing he had flat lined after collapsing onto his back. "I'm sorry Kaidan, there's nothing we can do for him now. Once we return to the Normandy, we'll see to it that he's recovered and given a burial." Fighting back her own emotions at losing a soldier, she tried to help Kaidan continue. "I need you to focus though, we have a mission to complete."

Kaidan noded, "Yes ma'am, just... such a waste. His first mission, and he had to watch his home burning."

"I know, we'll do everything we can to save it for him, but we need to move."

* * *

The two continued along their path, making their way from cover to cover, constantly expecting another ambush. Arriving at a tree line, at the top of another hill, they both took cover being a pillar of rock piercing up through the ground. Shepard gestured for Kaidan to move forwards, while she covered him, before joining him behind another stone pillar. Taking a second to focus with their backs to the rock, the sound of a turret firing a hundred metres behind them caused to both look around the edge of the pillar on reflex in time to see a marine running into a clearing at the base of the hill.

The marine dived to the ground as a volley of shots from the turrets passed right where her head would have been. Landing on her back she fired at the turrets trying frantically to manoeuvre themselves out of the firing line. A lucky strike on one caused it to veer into it's companion, the two exploding with a loud band, catching the attention of two mechs... of some sort... against a rock face on the far side of the clearing. The marine scrabbled back to her feet diving over a low rocky outcrop for cover. She panicking in her now pinned position.

Shepard stowed her assault rifle, unable to close the distance to put the mechs in range fast enough. Pulling her sniper rifle over her opposite shoulder, she fell into a crouch taking aim at the nearest target, already rounding the cover to bear down on the marine. Unable to find a head on the mech, Shepard settled for a light protruding from what appeared to be a neck, deciding it to be a sensor cluster. With one shot the light flickered out and the synthetic body fell to the ground limp. Rapidly replacing her thermal clip, Shepard turned the rifle on the second and fired. The round hit in the torso before it was able to find cover, before it dropped too, the light following suit with the first.

Shepard and Kaidan stepped out from behind cover on the hill starting down towards the marine. Shepard smiled at her, pleased that she didn't seem to have any note worthy injuries. "Report marine."

Like a bolt, the marine snapped to a salute. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the two twelve. Thanks for the assist ma'm, thought I was down for the count."

"Not a problem, are you injured."

"Nothing serious ma'am, patched and ready to go"

Shepard nodded before Kaidan spoke up, "Where's the rest of your unit, I assume you aren't out here on your own?"

Ashley looked down at the floor, the colour slowly draining from her face. "We were patrolling the area around the dig site. We were ambushed in the first wave of the attack, I was the only one to survive. Just been trying to survive since."

Shepard stowed her sniper pulling her assault rifle back out, "Ok, we need to get moving. Williams, we could use your help, can you show us where the beacon is."

"Sure thing ma'am"Williams nodded, gesturing towards the direction the mechs had pursued her from. "It's just down that path."

"Williams, enough of the ma'am already, it's Shepard"

"Sure thing, but if you don't mind, I want some payback."

Shepard started off towards the path Ash had indicated, taking point as the other two fell in behind her. "So any idea who we're fighting here Williams, don't think I've seen a mech even close to that one before." She kicked the pile off metal and plastic as they passed it.

"I don't think they're mechs Commander, I think their geth."

The two Normandy crew members paused to look at Ash in stunned silence. Shepard was the first to find her voice, "Are you sure Ashley, geth..."

Kaidan spoke up before she could answer, clearly refusing to listen. "The geth haven't been seen outside the Perseus Veil in over two centuries, why would they be here now."

Ash responded, a fire in her eyes, but her voice controlled and calm. "I'd guess the beacon, Sir. All I know for certain is they're not mechs. Mechs can't fight like this, or have the tactical ability for the ambush my squad was caught in."

Shepard cut the conversation of by activating her comm, "Nihlus, it's Shepard, are you there?"

Static came over the channel before a response finally came. "_I hear you Commander, barely. It seems communications are being blocked, explains why the transmissions all cut off._"

"Attacking force are believed to be geth. Repeat, geth."

"_Understood commander, Nihlus out._" The line cut off, being replaced by static from whatever was jamming communications."

"Well at least he knows to watch his back. Let get to it, any bets on how many we gun down before we reach the beacon?"

* * *

Ash stared at the ground in front of her, geth littering the surrounding area. "It was right here this morning. Haven't been back since setting out on patrol though, it's possible they took it to the space port, but I have no idea." Ash sighed, shaking her head, clearly frustrated at letting down her superior. "We could see if the scientists know anything... If they're still alive. They had a camp at the top of this hill."

Shepard looked up at the rock face "Ok, let's head up there." Shepard looked back at Williams. "I'm sure they're fine Ash. They had marines everywhere defending the beacon, they couldn't have caught everyone off guard."

"Ye, guess the geth wouldn't have been easier to catch off guard if they hadn't been guarding the path from the hill."

Kaidan looked at the pair in front of him, Ash giving into despair at their failure to protect the colony, Shepard failing to reassure Ash she hadn't failed. "We should get moving, sounds like the fighting has stopped."

"Guess they'll probably be pulling out soon, and we need that beacon."

The group set off up the hill, maintaining a fast pace, despite the wear clearly visible in the party.

Shepard's helmet beeped, as a comm channel opened to her. "_Shepard_"

She taped her helmet to answer the incoming comm, "I hear you Nihlus, the beacon wasn't at the dig site, we've moving to check out the camp."

"_I've found a small space port, I'm going to check it out._"

"Understood, one of the colony marines thinks they might have transported the beacon there at some point today. We'll meet you there unless the scientists can suggest anything else."

"_Understood, Nihlus out_"

The party rounded the last corner on the track, the camp covered in the tattered remains of burning prefab. "Well the marines definitely put up one hell of a fight." Shepard looked around scanning the destruction in front of her. "Those two prefabs seem to be intact, we could have survivors, or a potential ambush."

Ash gasped behind her, causing Shepard to raise her rifle scanning the area. "What is it?"

"Up there!" Ash gestured towards a cluster of three metre tall metal spikes, a body impaled on each, twitching. "In God's name... Are they still alive?!"

As if on cue, six spikes began retracting, lowering the bodies with a screech of metal on metal. As the bodies reached the ground, sparks erupted from the hole in their chests as they raised themselves to face to three soldiers.

"I think they're alive, are they hostile?" Kaidan's voice wavering slightly.

The creatures were covered in electronics, fused into their flesh. Their jaws opened unnaturally wide before letting out a scream turning to stare at the group with glowing blue eyes. The colour drained from Ash's face as the six creatures charged at the three of them. "I vote hostile!"

Ash and Shepard lit their assault rifles up, mowing them down as they charged. Kaidan threw them into each other life rag dolls. As the last one fell to the ground sparking, he exhaled sharply, "What the hell are those things?"

"They're wearing alliance armour," Ash kicked a husk that had fallen by her feat onto it's back, "Or they use to be. I think they were some of the alliance marines assigned to the science team. What did those spikes do to them?"

Shepard looked around at the bodies, "They seem like husks of themselves. The geth must have impaled them, transformed them. We should check the camp in case there are any more of them, Williams, secure the perimeter. Kaidan, with me."

The group split up, Shepard and Kaidan moving towards the prefabs the scientists had used. The pair fell into cover on either side of the door on the first. Shepard counted down from three on her right hand before hitting the door release and clearing the room. "Nothing but a bunch of lab tech. Move onto the next." The two followed the same pattern falling in beside the door on the last intact prefab, the door control glaring red at them. "Think you can hack that Kaidan?"

"Civilian encryption... It'll just take a second."

"Ash, can you give us some cover here, we have a locked door."

"Aye ma'am" Ash moved to position herself behind a pile of metal from the destroyed prefab. She pulled her sniper our aiming at the door.

At that moment the door beeped open, retracting out of the doorway followed by a scream from inside, "Don't shoot!"

Shepard leaned towards the door, lowering her rifle towards the ground. "It's okay, we're with the alliance. You're safe now."

An alliance scientist stepped towards the door from within the small structure, "Thank you, I think we'll be okay now. I'm doctor Warren."

Ash approached the building from her cover. "What happened here, where are the other scientists and marines? And where is the beacon?"

"The other scientist and most of the marines took the beacon to the space port this morning. We were told it was being transported to a larger facility. We stayed behind to start packing up the site. A unit of marines stayed behind, they... gave their lives to save us."

"They'd be glad to know you made it out safe." Shepard said, trying to comfort the Doctor at the loss of life for her safety. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the attack?"

"Not really, It all happened so fast. We were just packing up equipment when... they just came from everywhere. We didn't have time to get a good look before the marines got us into here and locked the door. There was gunfire, screaming, it seemed to go on forever. Then it all went quiet."

The other scientist interrupted at this point. "Agents of the destroyers, bringers of darkness. Heralds of our extinction."

"I'm sorry about Manuel, he's always been a bit... unstable. Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."

"Is it madness to see the future, to see our own extinction? To see the destruction rushing towards us, understand there is no escape? No! I am the only sane one left!"

Shepard turned back to Dr. Warren, "I suggest you look after Manuel. See to it that he sees a doctor after this. Williams, can you take us to the space port?"

"Yes ma'am."

The group headed out the prefab and off towards the space port when a single gunshot broke the eerie silence since their fight with the husks. Shepard looked back at the other two, "That's not a gunfight, pick up the pace people."

* * *

A/N The missions and action are probably the thing I'm worrying about writing the most. Please comment on how I've done, any and all advice is welcome. Hopefully it'll get better with practice.


	3. Politics

**Chapter 2 - Politics**

What sounded like the boom of a giant horn could be heard as the group climbed a hill. As they looked up, the giant star ship Shepard saw on the transmission back on the Normandy was rising effortlessly out of the atmosphere. Shepard called for the group at the peak, the space port visible before them. Using her sniper rifle, she scanned the visible area, relaying it to her team. "Looks like at least a dozen geth, and there's a dozen of those spikes to the east of the entrance. I can't see Nihlus, but if he's in there he's probably trying to stay hidden." Shepard looked over her left shoulder at Ash, "So Ash, feel like showing me how good a shot you are?"

Ash let a small smile show at the edges of her mouth. "Sounds like a plan, I'll try not to steal too many of your kills."

Shepard gave Ash a small laugh, "Haven't shown me you can hit anything yet." Turning her head tot he other side, she crossed her arms, "Think you can keep half a dozen of those husk looking things busy so I can kill them before those geth find us?"

"Shouldn't be difficult Commander, they don't seem to have any defence against biotics. Should be able to create a kill zone."

Shepard started down the hill towards the spikes, crouched down to avoid detection, "Take your first shot when I open fire."

When Shepard and Kaidan neared on the spikes, they began to descend towards the ground, lowering more impaled bodies on them to the ground. Shepard pulled her assault rifle out, aiming at the closest, and opened fire. She fired continuously while Kaidan worked on forcing the husks into a group, and maintaining a distance. Ash could be heard firing her sniper rapidly at the geth in the space port, presumably taking one out with each shot.

When the last husk dropped, Shepard's assault rifle whined as the heat sink overloaded. She moved to the freight entrance of the space port, the gate resting wide open with the lock shot open. She opened a comm link to Ash. "Get down here Ash, we've got you covered."

Ash sprinted down the gentle slope of the hill, while Shepard and Kaidan fired on anything that moved into a line of sight from their positions either side of the gate. The group moved into the space port. Ash had been efficient at taking out the geth, finding only two as they passed between piles of containers. Rounding a corner, they found a body lying in a pool of blue blood... turian.

Kaidan spoke up as they neared the body, "That looks like Nihlus..."

Ash looked down at the body, "That turian you spoke to on the radio, how did you know him?"

"He's a council spectre, he was sent to help retrieve the beacon and evaluate me as a candidate." Shepard let out a rather depressed sounding sigh, "Guess that's gone to hell now, the Alliance will be pleased..."

"Shepard, this was an execution, he was shot in the back of the head." Alarm slipped into Kaidan's voice before his head jerked up at a noise from behind a container beside them. "There's someone behind there."

Shepard pulled out her pistol pointing over the top of the waist-high container, "Come out, we know you're there!"

"D-Don't shoot." A dock worker stepped out from behind the stack of crates, stopping behind the single one.

"What happened here?" Shepard looked back at Nihlus's body, "Do you know who shot him?"

"I-It was another t-turian" the worker stammered, "I-I think they knew each other. H-He called the other one S-Sarren."

"Have you seen something come through here from the dig site? Prothean technology."

"Er, ye, some big black thing... they took it over by the dock C, it's that way." Pointing towards the far end of the yard, he hung his head. "I gotta get out of here, this... they just killed everyone..."

"You should head back to the colony," Ash looked back over her shoulder towards the main residential areas. "Most of the soldiers and defense towers are focused around there, you should be safe, and hopefully there's still people... there."

The three continued to the far side of the site, while maintaining cover. When they arrived at the dock, they still hadn't encountered any geth since finding Nihlus. Several containers were sitting with the doors a jar next to the ship berth. "Kaidan, check those containers, the beacon's got to be packed in one of them. Ash, help me with that container, we need some cover".

As Shepard and Ash dropped the second container to form a barricade for them to crouch behind, Kaidan shouted from within the second container. "We've got a fusion bomb Shepard, looks like it's at least 20 kilo tons... It'll wipe out the entire colony."

Gunfire starting hitting the containers just as Shepard moved to look into the container, "Crap, Kaidan, see what you can do with that bomb. We need to disarm that thing. Ash, where are my targets."

Ash rose out of cover, firing a burst of shots at a containers, "At least three behind there, a couple more two to the right."

A smug gin crossed Shepard's face. She through a grenade out of cover, bouncing off the container Ashley had shot, falling down behind it. "Fire in the hole."

The grenade detonated, casing geth parts to fly from behind the stack of crates. A loud creak could be heard before the pile began collapsing, taking the surrounding containers with it. A tall pile fell onto the second container Ash had indicated, as a geth chitter became audible.

Ash looked up from behind her cover and then back towards Kaidan, "How we doing in there?"

"Think I got it, there's not a lot here to prevent it being tampered with, like they didn't expect anyone to be here. Not surprising with the number of geth we saw and the gunfire earlier." At the sound of a small electric discharge, a beep started coming from the container, panic flooded Kaiden's voice. "Not good! There's a remote trigger!"

Ash slumped against the container. "I guess running won't help..."

Shepard smiled over at Ash, "Probably not, rather wishing I had a drink on me right now though."

Kaidan ran out of the container holding a small metal cylinder. Shouting, he turned around and threw it back over the container and the ship berth beside them. "GET DOWN!" He dove into cover between Shepard and Ashley as it exploded in a small fireball, shrapnel showering down around them. "Got the detonator off, we should have the Alliance secure the bomb though, get an explosives expert out here to make sure there aren't any surprises."

"Right, Kaidan, check that last container, make sure it is the beacon. Ash, check the area, make sure we don't have any more geth sneaking around." Kaiden and Ash walked off in opposite directions, while Shepard tapped the side of her helmet opening a comm channel to the Normandy. "Shepard to Normandy, requesting pick up. Ship Berth 3 at the colony Space port. We've got a disarmed nuclear device."

"Roger that Shepard, Normandy inbound. ETA, three minutes. Just don't go blowing that thing up when we geth there." Joker laughed over the comm, but Shepard's attention was focused on the last container, as Kaidan was slowly dragged into it by an unseen force. She ran between him and the beacon, using the doors either side of her to force Kaidan backwards before seized in his place. She was lifted into the air, turning to face into the container, coming to face a clearly alien object, bathed in green light. Her vision disappeared as she lost consciousness, but continued to hang in the air, twitching.

Ash hear a soft thump, and turned back to look to see as Kaidan landed outside the container. "Lieutenant!" She ran over to check what happened, finding Shepard hanging in the air. Kaidan forced himself to his feet and tried to run forwards to help Shepard. Ashley restrained him, "It's too dangerous Lieutenant. We have no idea what it would do to you."

A bright flash came from the beacon, throwing Shepard back, she landed on Alenko and Williams. Kaiden sat there stunned, looking between a now destroyed prothean beacon, and his unconscious Commander, twitching, Commander, as the Normandy became visible in the sky. Ash looked down at the unconscious Commander, before using Shepard's Omnit-tool to hail the Normandy. "This is Gunnery Chief Williams of the two twelve. Commander Shepard is down, repeat, Commander Shepard is down. Request medical team to meet us at the airlock."

Jokers voice came back, far more serious than he ever liked. "Confirmed Chief. ETA, 30 seconds."

* * *

Shepard opened her eyes and quickly squeezed them shut again, blinded by light in front of her. Shepard heard a male voice shouting beside her, "Doctor Chakwas, I think she's waking up" before she opened her eyes again. She blinked as the ceiling of the medbay came into focus.

The doctor stood up, and walked towards the bed Shepard was on. "You gave us quit the scare Commander. How do you feel?"

Shepard tried to sit up before falling back onto the bed, "One hell of a headache, who let me finish the bottle?"

Dr. Chakwas laughed before Kaiden replied. "The beacon did something to you. It pulled me towards it until you threw me aside. Then it pulled you up. It... exploded Commander, there's hardly anything left. I'm... sorry Commander."

"I ordered you to check the containers, if it hadn't been you, I'd have triggered... whatever that was, myself." Shepard tried to get up up again, groaning as her head span. "Just get me some painkillers doctor, and I'll be out of your way."

The doctor frowned, "You've been unconscious for fifteen hours Commander. I also detected unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves. You also had an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs normally associated with dreaming. Fortunately, there's nothing physically wrong."

"I was dreaming... or something." Shepard slid off the bed, still leaning on it for support. "Right, so I'll put coffee at the top of my to do list. If there's nothing else doctor."

The doctor placed two tablets, and a glass of water on a table next to the bed. "I'll add that to my report, could be-" The door tot he medbay slid open. "Oh, Captain."

"How's out XO doing doctor?"

"All the readings are normal, I'd say she's going to be fine. I've cleared her for light duty."

"Good, I need to speak to the Commander in private."

Kaiden saluted, "Yes Captain."

"I'll just be in the mess hall if you need anything." The doctor followed the Lieutenant out of the medbay.

"Things went pretty badly down their Commander, are you sure you're okay?"

Shepard sighed, slumping slightly against the bed. "I feel bad about Jenkins, he was put in a hell of a situation. The crew will take it hard..." Shepard shook her head, before placing a palm to it, looking at the floor. "What happened to the Chief, Captain, did we leave her on Eden Prime."

"She's been reassigned to the Normandy, I thought her account might be able to help us with the Council... and our ambassador."

"She's a good soldier, she deserves it." Shepard stood up straighter, looking at the Captain, "So what did you ask to speak with me about Captain?"

"Things look bad Shepard. The beacon is destroyed, the colony on Eden Prime came incredibly close to destruction, and Nihlus is dead. To top it all off, there's a geth arms attacking human colonies."

"We've got nothing to hide Captain, I did nothing wrong. Hopefully the Council can see that."

"I'm behind you Shepard, but this is bad. Saren, that other turian, he's a spectre, one of the best. If he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rouge. A rogue spectre 's trouble. Saren's deadly, and he hates humans." Anderson sighed, exhaustion and stress clearly showing in his expression. "If he's allied himself with the geth, we're in trouble. It must have something to do with the beacon. Kaiden told me what happened, do you have any idea why?"

"No, but... I had... some kind of vision. Synthetics... geth maybe... slaughtering people. They were wiping out entire planets. It could have had something to do with the beacon"

"We'll have to report this to the Council Shepard."

"And tell them what? That I had a nightmare!"

"We don't know what information was on that beacon, but Saren took it. Whatever it was, Saren

has it, and I know his reputation. He hates humanity, believes we're a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war, he has the secrets from the beacon, and an army of geth at his command. He won't stop until every last human is dead."

"We'll find a way to stop him Captain."

"As a spectre, he's nearly untouchable, that's why we need to convince the Council." Anderson sighed, slumping against the opposite wall of the medbay, worry becoming apparent on his face. "We'll do what we can to expose him, but it won't be easy. Have Joker bring us into dock at the Citadel, I need to ensure the reports are forwarded to Ambassador Udina."

* * *

Shepard stepped out of the medbay, finding Ash loitering in the mess. Wanting to see how Ashley felt about her reassignment, Shepard decided to take her to the bridge. "Williams, how are you liking the Normandy?" she smiled.

"Well, I thought barracks were tight on space, a frigate certainly proves that wrong, but the crew's been friendly. I can't help but feel but feel guilty about Jenkins though, I might not be here if he'd... you know." Ash replied, slumping her shoulders.

Shepard gave Ash a gently pat on the arm, "Come on, we're headed to the bridge. We should be arriving soon, everyone tells me it's a sight to see." She didn't wait for a reply, turning towards a staircase to the CIC and starting to the cockpit.

The two stepped up behind Joker seat, causing him to look back at them, "Hey Commander, just about to bring us into the citadel."

The pair gaped out the Normandy's windows, trying to take in every detail as they approached the giant station, dwarfing the mass relays. Joker glided the ship into a private alliance dock as Anderson walked up to the cockpit, followed by Kaiden. "Commander, Chief, we're expected by ambassador Udina."

* * *

Udina met them with a considerable amount of disdain and scepticism about the whole report. He had however, managed to organize a meeting with the Citadel Council. The Council had also organized an investigation by Citadel Security into Saren's actions, to see if there was any evidence of him going rogue.

Anderson and Udina had gone ahead to the Council Chambers, planning how to approach the meeting, while the three marines slowly walked the short distance from the embassies to the Citadel Tower.

After entering the Council Chambers, following a very slow elevator ride, the group found two turian C-Sec officers arguing.

"-Spectre, everything he touches is classified. I need more time, can't you stall them."

"Stall the Council, are you mad?"

"We're meant to do our job, uphold the law. How can we do that if they block every line of inquiry."

"That doesn't change anything, Spectres answer only to the Council. Your Investigation is over Garrus."

Garrus spotted the three marines that had entered the chambers, while the other officer left towards a C-Sec officer off the Chamber. "Commander Shepard, Garrus Vakarian. I'm the officer assigned to investigate your ambassador's charges against Saren. Unfortunatly, every inquiry I make is blocked. they won't listen. Hopefully you can make the Council see reason."

Kaiden shrugged, "I don't see why they'd listen to us, we're effectively accusing their top agent of treason."

"That may be, but your ambassador has some political clout. He has a better chance than I do at least."

"Thanks for everything you did, hopefully it'll be enough." Shepard looked over the turian's shoulder seeing Captain Anderson waving them over. "We should go, looks like they're ready for us."

The four Alliance soldiers stepped up behind behind the Ambassador, already in discussion with the Council, each member apparently taking it in turns to dismiss all claims.

"The geth attack on Eden Prime is a matter of concern, but there is nothing to suggest Saren was involved in anyway."

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason."

"An eye witness saw Saren kill Nihlus in cold blood." Udina tried to hold ground, however even this was cast aside.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports Ambassador, the testimony of one traumatized dock worker is hardly compelling proof."

Saren was present for the hearing in the form of a large hologram projected towards the wide of the councillors, only just feeling the need to defend himself, as the council had effectively dismissed all evidence. "Nihlus was a fellow spectre, and a friend."

Anger swept through Anderson, jabbing angrily towards Saren. "That just let you catch him off guard." He crossed his arms, trying to regain his composite "You claim a good friend died yesterday, but you hardly seem upset about it."

"Ah, Captain Anderson, you always seem to be involved when humanity makes charges." Saren lent back against some surface not visible in the hologram, his mandibles flaring smugly. "And this must be your protégée I've heard so much about. I must admit, your file really doesn't do you justice. Nihlus didn't believe you incompetent enough to cause the destruction of the beacon."

"You're the one that destroyed the beacon, you even planted a nuclear weapon because a geth arms just wasn't enough was it?!" "You did everything you could, if only you hadn't let 'one traumatized dock worker' see you shoot him." Shepard's gaze shifted over to the Salarian Councillor. "Care to explain in what way his employment affects the reliability of his testimony. And how do you suppose, he just happened to know Saren's name."

Saren's jaw hung open for a second, his mandibles matching in a look of complete surprise, this human apparently having more bite than he had given her credit for. Struggling, he managed to resume his relaxed demeanour. "How typical for a human, always shifting the blame on others, that was Captain Anderson's speciality. It seems he taught you well."

Shepard crossed her arms, finding herself becoming increasingly annoyed with the towering hologram. Why could it possibly need to be any larger than life. "Typical, insults. Saren despises humanity, that's why he attacked Eden Prime. I'm sure if he could, he'd kill every last one of us."

"Humanity needs to learn it's place" Saren's words were dripping with the true meaning of his words... Humanity should be ground into the dirt. "You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!"

"He has no right to say that, that's not his decision!" Udina shouted at the council, outrage across his face.

The Asari Councillor turned to address Saren, maintaining a calm and composed posture, despite the increasingly tense situation forming before them. "Shepard's admittance into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting."

"This meeting has no purpose, they're wasting your time Councillor. And mine!"

"Saren is hiding behind his position as a Spectre." Shepard fought to stop herself from shouting at the Council "You need to open your eyes, and look at what's right in front of you."

The Salarian Councillor replied in an annoying calm tone. "What we need is evidence, so far you've shown us nothing."

Captain Anderson stepped forward, "There is still one matter we haven't discussed, Commander Shepard's vision." The desperation was obvious in his voice.

Shepard couldn't help but shake her head, she knew the Council would dismiss this easier than their eye witness. Saren, however, was the one to voice his dislike on the matter "Are we allowing dreams as evidence now? How am I meant to defend myself against this kind of testimony?"

"Agreed. This council works on evidence and facts, not wild imaginings and speculation." The turian councillor had practically spat the last few words, clearly having made his decision.

"Do you have anything else to-" The Salarian Ambassador started, pausing when he noticed Shepard had turned her back on the council and was walking away. "add, Ambassador."

Shepard stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the podium, out of sight from the meeting, only just noticing that the two marines had followed her. "Well... that went well..."

Shepard heard the Ambassador's raised voice from behind her on the stairs. "I should never have taken you into that meeting, Captain. You and Saren have too much history, it made them question our motives. As for the Commander, I told you she wasn't suitable for the Spectres, they'll never accept her now." He reached the bottom of the steps, facing the Commander, "What do you have to say for yourself. YOU DO NOT WALK OUT ON THE COUNCIL!"

Shepard crossed her arms, giving the Ambassador a smug lopsided grin, "Any why not, they had made their mind up, my walking out hardly changed that."

"What about your candidacy to the Spectres, what us is an agent with no respect for his superiors."

"I don't remember you asking me if I even wanted to be a Spectre." She couldn't help but raise her voice, anger seeping into her body language. "Actually, I don't remember anybody. This isn't just putting me up for a promotion, Ambassador."

Anderson interrupted, before the argument could escalate. "That's enough Commander, this won't get us anywhere. We need to stop Saren. As long as he's out there, his geth army is a threat. Every world we control is in danger, even Earth isn't safe."

Shepard looked down, reining herself in until Kaiden spoke behind her, "What about that turian, the officer assigned to investigate Saren. He seemed determined he was onto something. We could track him down, see if he can help us."

"I... do have a contact that could help us" Udina reluctantly offered, clearly embarrassed at his lapse. "Harkin should be able to help us."

"Forget it, they suspended Harkin last month." Anderson shook his head before bringing his palm up to it, "Drinking on the job. He's a disgrace to humanity, and a dead beet. I won't waste my time with him."

"You won't have to, I don't want to have the Council using your history with Saren against us. Shepard can handle this. I need to take care of some business after that disaster of a meeting. Anderson, meet me in my officer later." Udina walked off before giving anyone a chance to say another word.

Anderson sound disgruntled, "He really can be an ass, even if he is normally right, you'll probably find Harkin in Chora's Den. It's a dingy little club in the lower wards."

"Right, I guess we should get moving, but I would appreciate an explanation of what happened between you and Saren when there's time."

"You'll have it Commander." Anderson looked off towards the the elevator out of the tower, "I should go meet with Udina. Good luck."


	4. Proof

**Chapter 3 - Proof**

The three of them stepped out of the elevator they had taken into the wards, freezing open-mouthed at the sight before them. Shepard stepped up to the window in front of them, leaning on the ledge, not so much as blinking. The entirety of the Citadel was visible, the immense wards reaching out into the distance, two of them an immeasurable difference above them, while two more were words seemingly hung off to the sides.

Kaidan stepped up beside her. "Big place" he said in awe.

Ash leant against the ledge on her opposite side, "That your professional opinion, Lieutenant."

"He's right, this isn't a space station, it's a city..." Shepard sighed, " and one hell of a view.

"There must be millions here, it can't be possible to track everyone coming and going."

"This just makes Jump Zero look like... well... nothing." Ash shook her head in disbelief. "Nine thousand people... it just pales compared to this."

"Jump Zero is big, but this is a whole other scale. Just look at those ward arms, there must be millions of inhabitants on each. How do they stop that much mass from flying off into space."

"They must represent more races than I thought" Shepard said, gaining some appreciation for the Council. "No wonder they're so cautious when a new species emerges"

"They probably just want to keep everything running, can you imagine getting this many cultures to cooperate."

"Ye, or maybe they just don't like humans." Ash commented bitterly.

"What's not to like, we've got oceans, beautiful women. According to the old vids, we've got everything they want."

"When you put it that way, there's no reason they wouldn't like you." Kaidan paused, looking uncomfortable at his choice of words. "I mean us, humans."

"You don't take much shore leave, do you LT." Ash teased.

"All right Chief, laugh it up. Watch it Lieutenant, flattery will get you nowhere, I assure you."

"Er... Aye-Aye ma'am." Kaidan lowered his head blushing. He'd found the Commander attractive since he'd met her just after departing Arcturus, but he'd never expected a slip like that.

"I'll walk drag ma'am." Ash laughed.

Shepard cleared her throat, "Right, Chora's Den."

* * *

Shepard stepped into the small club first, Kaidan and Ash close on her heels. The three paused just inside the door, while Ash spoke up. "Right, half way across the galaxy, and walk into a club full of half-naked women." She sighed, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. "Harkin's a deadbeat, probably getting drunk. How hard can he be to find here..." She paused waiting for a response before looking round at Kaidan, finding him staring at an asari dancing a platform in the centre of the club. "Seriously LT, just can't keep your eyes where you're meant to can you." She shook her head again before noticing Shepard staring at the same podium. "Shepard... really... Why do I feel like the only professional."

"What? Harkin, right. Kaidan, come on." Shepard walked towards the bar, ensuring people could see she was fully armed. She placed a credit chit on the surface and gestured a human bartender over. "I'm looking for a C-Sec officer named Harkin, I'm told he's a regular here."

The human pocketed the chit, before he pointed towards a dark corner at the far end of club. Shepard stepped back, before weaving her way across a dance floor, taking the most direct route she could towards Harkin. She paused at an empty table, and gestured for Kaidan and Ash to wait there, before stepping up to a table wedged into the corner, a single balding human sat at the table. "Harkin?"

"Mmm mmm mmm, well arn't you a sight there sweetheart." Harkin smirked, leaning back in his seat for a better look. "Complete with marine uniform too, don't think my day could get any better"

Shepard shifted her weight to one hip, placing a hand on each, "And it won't be, I just want to know where a turian named Garrus is."

"I assume you're one of Anderson's men after Saren, poor bastard never did let that one go. Take a seat sweetheart, have a drink, no point in rushing things."

Shepard crossed her arms, a frown beginning to replace her neutral expression. "I'm not here for games, just tell me what I want to know."

"Come on, why don't you sit your sweet little ass down and join me for a drink, I can make it worth your time."

Shepard sighed placing a hand on her head covering here eyes before she let it drop, glaring at Harkin. She raises her right foot before kicking it into the seat of Harkin's chair between his legs, forcing the chair into the wall behind him with a thump, several patrons around them turning to look as Harkin grunted. "Unless you want that heel two inches higher, I suggest you just tell me what I want to know."

The colour began to slowly drain from his face, "Garrus was sniffing around some clinic on the other side of the ward, it's run by a Dr. Michel, said some thing about Saren. Last I heard, he was going back there after the Council threw out the charges." he spluttered frantically.

Shepard picked Harkin's glass up off the table, downed it in one and replaced it on the table. "Thanks for the drink." She turned and walked back to Ash and Kaidan, leaving Harking straightening himself out, trying to regain his composure.

Ash was hiding behind a hand, trying to stifle a laugh, while Kaidan had his face buried in his hands. Shepard stood next to the table, looking down at the two of them with her arms crossed, "Something I'm missing, Ash?"

"Nothing ma'am, the Lieutenant and me were just discussing his... preferences."

"Right... well we need to get a taxi across the ward. Sounds like there might be a lead on Saren. Let's try to keep things professional while we're chasing this lead, okay you two?"

Kaidan lifted his head out of his hands, his face Scarlett with embarrassment, "Yes ma'am."

Ash couldn't help a burst of laughter as she followed Shepard out of the club to local taxi rink.

* * *

The three stepped out of the taxi onto a deserted street, a small clinic just in front of them. Kaidan looked along the length of the street, "Seems a little quiet for a clinic doesn't it?"

Ash pulled out her pistol. "Can't hurt to go in cautious. If there's evidence on Saren in there, he'd want to stop us from getting it by and means."

"Put the gun away Williams, but be on guard. Last thing we want to do is get anyone killed in a fire fight." Shepard walked up to the clinic, pressing the HI to open the door for it to flash red. "On second thought, take up position on each side, stay out of sight unless you hear gunfire. Could you get the door please Kaidan."

The door chimed as the HI turned green, before sliding open. Shepard stepped into the small clinic, taking a split second to reach for her pistol at the sight of a Doctor being held at gunpoint behind a partition through the clinic, two more lurking to the side. The thug holding the gun was shouting at the doctor, oblivious to a turian crouched below the partition, working his way around to behind the hostage and captor, a male human. The captor looked up as Shepard walked through the door, pulling the Doctor around to stand between him and Shepard as a living shield as Shepard's pistol raised to pointed at the pair. Garrus moved out from behind the partition, pistol in hand, and placed a single shot in the skull of the human from the side. As the human fell limp behind the Doctor, Shepard dove at the Doctor, pushing her back onto the floor, her shields flaring as they both fell. The Doctor landed behind a bed, Shepard taking care not to land on top of her in her armor. Kaidan and Ash burst through the doorway, quickly eliminating the two remaining thugs.

Ash sighed as the gunfire stopped, "All clear Commander."

Shepard looked at the Doctor, coughing on the ground next to her, "Are you hurt Doctor?"

"No" she wheezed, "Just knocked my breath out of me. Thank you."

Shepard pushed herself up, using the bed next to her for support, looking at the turian. "What were you thinking, you could have hit the civilian."

"You're right, I just saw a shot and took it." he admitted, "I'm glad your okay Dr. Michel."

Shepard extended a hand towards Dr. Michel and helped her up to her feet. "Do you know who they were Doctor?"

"Y-Yes... they were Fist's men." she shivered.

Garrus walked over tot he doctor, "Doctor, please, what were they after? Why were they here?"

"They wanted to keep me quiet about the Quarian that came to see me, she'd been shot. She was scared, running from someone. Fist I assume, since he wants to keep me quiet. They didn't want me to tell Garrus about her."

Shepard blinked in surprise. "Quarin, as in the creators of the geth? Did she say anything about Saren?! Or the geth?"

"Yes, she said she had something to link the two. She wanted to know about the Shadow Broker, trade the information for a safe place to hide." She looked down at the floor, sorrow seemed to fill her face. "I... put her in contact with Fist, he's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

"He was, Fist works for Saren now, and the Broker isn't happy about it. He's hired a krogan mercenary to kill him, C-Sec's currently giving him a warning."

Shepard crossed her arms leant back on the bed behind her. "Sounds like a stupid mistake on Fist's part, Saren must have made on hell of an offer. Guess we know the information is legit." She looked back over to Kaidan and Ash on the other side of the room. "Looks like we're going back to Chora's Den."

"Commander, wait. I'm coming with you." Garrus growled "I failed to catch Saren once, I need to help you bring him down this time."

Shepard nodded, "Could certainly use another gun." The edges of her mouth slowly lifted into a sly smile. "Think you can shoot straight, turian?" Shepard turned back to the two marines, "Kaidan, stay with the doctor, meet us back at the human embassy later. Ash, with me."

Garrus looked shocked at Shepard's comment before following her out of the clinic laughing, "Not _my_ aim I'm worried about. Still haven't met a human that can hit a stationary target." Garrus paused as they exited through the door, "We could see about getting that krogan to give us a hand."

Shepard paused and looked back at Garrus, "He's a krogan mercenary that's been hired to kill someone we need to talk to. I'm hoping that while he's with C-Sec, we can get to Fist and find out what we need to know."

Garrus frowned before he nodded slightly, "We should get moving then."

The three moved back to the taxi post Shepard and Ash had arrived at, leaving Kaidan to see to the Doctor's well-being.

* * *

Chora's Den looked deserted. The entrance had been sealed, no one was outside and sound of music coming from within was absent. The three took cover against the wall by the door, it's interface glowing red. Shepard looked past Ash Along the wall at the door, "Anyone got any ideas how to get in?"

Garrus slipped past to the opposite side of the door and lit his omni tool up. "C-Sec, my clearance gets me access to almost everything that isn't a private residence."

"Okay. Garrus, you go right. Ash, go left. Just make sure to check your targets are hostile, we don't know what we'll find in there."

All three pulled out assault rifled and check their clips before Shepard nodded for Garrus to open the door. Ash and Garrus pulled back as shot instantly began flying through the door. Garrus glanced round before pulling his head back again as his shields flared. "Doesn't look like any civilians, multiple targets at ever angle."

Shepard pulled a grenade off her belt, "Go in firing after the explosion. You better be right about no casualties Garrus."

Garrus pulled a still image up he had taken on his omni-tool. "Positive Shepard, everyone visible is armed. Any civilians must be in cover, probably behind the bar."

Shepard threw the grenades through the door and ducked back against the wall as it shook with the blast. Garrus and Ash practically leapt through, firing as they went on anyone left standing, followed by Shepard. They quickly tore through the hired guards, finding a bartender scrambling to pull some especially expensive bottles into cover.

The three continued through the bar towards a door in the back, that had been heavily guarded, bodies now lying across most of the floor around it. A Shotgun blast sounded behind them. "Looks like you missed a spot."

Shepard looked back towards the entrance in time to watch a body collapse over an overturned table, a large hole visible in their back. The krogan barked a laugh, "Shouldn't have turned his back to a doorway, and you should have checked your targets dead."

"Thanks for the cover, I assume you're here for Fist?"

"I'm getting paid a lot of money to kill him out for the Shadow Broker, and I'm not about to let three squishy creatures like you stand in my way."

"We're here to talk with Fist. I'm sure you can tell by the mess, it's not going to be a friendly chat. Should be a lot easier walking into his office with four rather than one." Shepard held out a hand towards the Krogan.

"Hmm, I'd be an idiot to turn away a friendly gun, you have a deal human." The krogan reached out giving Shepard's hand an incredibly firm shake. "I'm Wrex."

"Commander Shepard."

The krogan let a small, for a krogan, laugh escape his throat, "Shepard, heard a lot about you. Seems you certainly left an impression on the Council."

Shepard let a lopsided grin creep across her mouth, "Who likes politicians? Come on, we need to get to Fist, fast."

The group continued through a store-room behind the door, persuaded a pair of laborers to get a safer career, before forcing their way into a private office in the back of the club. After taking out several security turrets on the officer, they found Fist cowering behind his desk. Shepard pointed her pistol at Fist, "Come out slowly, or you'll be leaving this office in a bag.

Fist gulped, "Okay, okay, just don't shoot me." He crawled slowly out from under the desk, his eyes never leaving the barrel of Shepard's pistol.

Garrus stepped up beside Shepard, "Where. Is. The Quarian!"

"I don't know, she's not here," Fist whimpered at them, "I don't know where she is. But I can tell you where she's going to be. She wanted me to arrange a meeting with the Shadow Broker."

"Impossible! He always works through agents, even I was hired through an third party." Wrex almost said it threateningly, Fist cowering back towards the desk.

"I know, I know, but she didn't. I said I'd set up a meeting. When she gets there, It'll be Saren's men waiting for her."

Shepard lowered her pistol, "You bastard, we need to get moving, where is the meeting?"

Fist relaxed as Shepard's pistol lowered towards the ground. "It's in a back alley round the corner, you should be able to get there in plenty of time if you go now."

Shepard turned towards the exit, "Let's go." She glanced back at Fist, "He's all yours Wrex!" She watched as the colour drained out of Fist's face, she turned away again just before a blast escaped Wrex's shotgun. "We need to save that Quarian."

The four of them walked out of the club, the bartender cowering back down behind the bar as they passed through the main club. The four figures arrived at the alley a few minutes before the meeting, giving time for everyone to hide out of sight before the meeting, easier said than done for Wrex.

Just as Wrex's hiding place in a dumpster was beginning to get uncomfortable, a turian walked past him, his tattoos looking like a predator baring it's teeth. Two salarian mercenaries loitered by a pile of discarded boxes while the turian pausing to lean against Wrex's cover. A few moments after a quarian walked in nervously from the opposite end of the alley, slowly approaching the turian. "Where's the Shadow Broker?"

"You have no idea who the Shadow Broker is, and you demand that I show him to you." The turian pushed of from the dumpster, approaching the quarian. "For all you know I'm the Shadow Broker."

The quarian flinched as the turian ran a hand along her arm before swatting it away, "No, deals off." She turned to leave as the turian grabbed her, the two mercenaries pulled out pistols starting to advance on them. As the quarian threw off the turian she threw a stun grenade at the two mercenaries and printed towards the end of the alley.

As the grenade detonated Wrex burst through the side of the dumpster, crushing the turian against the opposite side of the alley. The distinct crunch of bone echoed along the alley, before he slid limply to the ground. Ash and Shepard rose from behind the boxes by the dazed salarians, firing a shotgun blast each, knocking them clean off their feet, leaving the only sound in the alley, the light footsteps of the quarian running.

Shepard stowed the shotgun on the base of her back, "You see Ash, if a Krogan can make a deadly ambusher, it's you wonder the geth can."

Ash couldn't help but let a small laugh out, "True, but now we have a krogan that smells like last months fish."

Garrus passed over the end of the alley, unarmed, holding his hands out non threateningly to stop the quarian from running away, "Whoa, relax, it's okay. We aren't here to hurt you, we came to stop Saren from having you killed."

The quarian stopped, maintaining her distance from Garrus, "Those... Those were Saren's men? Keelah, what have I got myself into!"

Shepard slowly walked up behind the quarian, taking care to keep her distance, "I'm Commander Shepard, I'm trying to prove that Saren Arterius is guilty of treason. We were told that you had some information, and that Fist had ordered his men to kill you."

"Then it seems I can thank you properly for saving my life, but, can we please get somewhere safer."

Garrus stepped aside at the mouth of the alley, "We should take her to the human embassy. If this evidence is as good as we hope, your ambassador will want to see it."

Shepard stepped up beside the quarian, "we should get going, miss..."

"Just call me Tali, lead the way Commander."

The group piled into two taxi's, Wrex taking up an pair of back seats, and flew up to the embassies on the presidium.

* * *

Kaidan was waiting for them in the embassies reception. "You taking in strays now Shepard?"

Wrex let out a low growl from his throat, causing Kaidan to fall backwards several steps, tripping over himself in his haste. Wrex looked over at the marine, "This is what passes for a human soldier Shepard?"

Shepard laughed at the pair, "Come on, we need to see Udina. No scaring anyone while you're in there Wrex." She continued walking up to Udina's embassy without pausing at the door.

"Shepard, what the hell are you playing at," Udina screamed. "Fire fights in the ward, you practically demolished Chora's Den and a shoot out in a medical clinic! What's next, the presidium?! And what is that god awful smell?"

Wrex couldn't help but smile, "You try hiding in a dustbin and we'll see what you smell like," He took a deep breath, "Might actually end up smelling better."

The look on Udina's face went from anger, to pure fury. "And who the hell are these people, Shepard."

Shepard let her smug lopsided grin show as she patronizingly replied, "Sorry, I didn't get chance to introduce them before you started ranting." She patted a hand on Wrex's shoulder, "This is a krogan bounty hunter that was after Fist, Wrex." She paused for a moment to watch the confidence drain out of Udina's face before she pointed towards Garrus, "That's Garrus Vakarian, the C-Sec officer, _you_ asked us to find. And this is Tali." Shepard gently patted her shoulder, "She has evidence that will prove to the council that Saren attacked Eden Prime, and is a traitor. Right, I'm sorry, you were complaining about how Wrex smelt."

"Don't get smart with me Shepard. What's this evidence that you have, miss..."

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I was on my pilgrimage when I heard rumors of geth outside the Veil. The geth haven't been beyond the Veil in almost three hundred years, so, I had to investigate. After I found a lone platform, it was easy enough to disable it without destroying the memory core. I was able to recover some date from its audio banks."

Tali tapped at her omni-tool's HI until an audio file began to play.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the conduit._"

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers._"

The group all stood in slightly stunned silence, until Shepard spoke, "That's defiantly Saren's voice,I don't recognize the second voice though." Confusion spread across Shepard's face, "And what do they mean by, _'Reapers'?_"

"According to the geth, they are a hyper advanced machine race that existed fifty thousand years ago." Tali looked down in embarrassment, knowing the absurdity of what she was saying. "At least... that's what the geth believe."

"Seems a little far-fetched," Udina complained, "still, this gives us everything we need against Saren. I'll set a meeting up with the Council to present this. Shepard, I'll let you know when you can meet us at the Council Chambers, I trust you can show yourself out."

Shepard turned and walked out of the embassy after giving the ambassador a scowl.

* * *

The elevator up the Citadel Tower, once again, slowly ascended the structure at an excruciatingly slow pace. Despite the stunning view out over the presidium and along the wards. Garrus had stayed at the C-Sec office to run interference on the investigations on the deaths in the ally, and Chora's Den. Wrex had reluctantly agreed not to go until he'd removed the smell from the dumpster, although Shepard thought it was the bathing he was reluctant about, not missing the meeting with the Council.

Shepard, Ash, Kaidan and Tali all breathed a sigh of relief as the door finally opened into the Council Chambers. As they ascended the final flight of steps to the podium, they could hear Tali's recording playing.

'-step closer to the return of the Reapers.'

The recording ended just as Shepard stepped up behind Anderson, standing on the rather exposed platform before the Council.

"You wanted proof, there it is!" Udina shouted smugly. He was clearly enjoying proving the Council wrong, even if he hadn't done a lot to aid in getting to this point.

The Turian Councilor shook his head in defeat, "This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his status as a Spectre, and every effort will be made to bring him to justice."

"I recognize that other voice, the one speaking with Saren." The Asari Councilor interjected, "I... believe it is Matriarch Benezia, although I cannot possibly imagine why she would be allied with him."

Shepard stepped past Anderson to come level with Udina on the platform, "Who is she?"

"Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is one of the most influential. She is a powerful biotic, and has a great many followers. She would be a powerful ally to Saren."

"I'm more interested in these Reapers. What do you know about them?"

Tali surprised everyone by answering, despite appearing incredibly nervous about standing before the Council. "Only what I was able to extract from the geth memory core. They believe they were responsible for wiping out the Protheans. Then they vanished from the galaxy, but the geth are working to bring them back. They appear to believe the reapers are gods, or at least the pinnacle of artificial life, and that Saren is the prophet for their return."

"We believe that's why Saren is after the conduit, and why he attacked Eden Prime for the beacon." Anderson finished.

"Do we even know what this conduit is?" The Salarian Councilor sounded mostly curious, but there was a definite hint of fear in his voice.

"Saren's after it, and believes it can bring back a race that wiped out the Protheans. No matter what it is, he needs to be stopped." Shepard stated.

The Turian Councilor remained unconvinced however, "Listen to what you're saying. Saren wants to bring back machines that killed all life in the galaxy fifty thousand years ago. How could he possible believe it to be possible. Why would these machines conquer the galaxy, wiping out the protheans in the process, only to disappear, leaving no trace of their existence. We would have had to find some trace of their existence." The ambassador began to sound increasingly frightened as he continued, realizing the possible implications if they did truly exist.

Shepard stepped past Udina to the main podium, "I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to see the truth. Don't make the same mistake again, just because you claim there isn't any evidence."

"This is different, you proved Saren was behind the attack, and that he is using the geth to find the conduit, but we don't really know why." The calm tone of the Asari Councilor's voice almost sounded patronizing. "We only have what the geth believe, which is likely fabrications Saren uses to maintain his control over them."

"These Reapers are probably just a myth Commander. A lie obscuring Saren's true motive, and a means to control the geth." The Salarian Councilor's voice had returned to it's composed self at this decision.

"Why do I even bother?" Shepard muttered before looking up at the council, fire visible in her eyes. "Saren needs to be stopped!"

"Saren is a rogue agent, on the run for his life. Without the resources of a Spectre, he cannot hope to hide forever." The Turian Councilor sounded indifferent as he said it.

Udina was outraged. "That's not good enough. You know he'd hiding in the traverse. Send your fleet i-"

Shepard raised a hand to stop the Ambassador,causing him to splutter in fury while she spoke over him. "Send me. You won't send a fleet in, risking a war with the terminus. Sending one ship, that already prevented Saren from destroying a colony, will not start a war. Everyone wins."

The Asari Councilor looked between her colleagues, "The Commander's right, there is a way to stop Saren that doesn't require fleets or armies." The two other counsilors gave her a reluctant not, accompanied by discust on the face of the turian, before she continued. "Commander Shepard."

Somehow, the already quiet room seemed to become completely silent as Shepard stood at the speakers podium. Diplomats around the chambers began gathering on balconies to see exactly what the silence was for. The Councilors each straitened their posture, clearing their throats, preparing for a speech they had each memorized, if rarely performed.

"It is the decision of this Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defence. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you, and your entire species."

Shepard felt herself growing increasingly self conscious as the Councilors continued, wishing she had worn her helmet to hide her face. She did however maintain composure as they finished, "I am honored Councilors."

"We're sending you into the traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to eliminate him."

"I'll find him."

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned" The Asari Councilor announced, before the three Council members turned and left their podiums.

Udina held a hand to his jaw thinking, "We've got a lot to do Shepard, you're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies."

Anderson stepped up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "The Council will also have granted you access to prototype technology. C-Sec's requisitions department should be able to help you out with improving your equipment."

"Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set all of this up. Shepard, I'll contact you when we have everything sorted." Udina barked.

Ash shrugged as the Ambassador walked out of earshot, "You'd think he'd be a bit more grateful. You did just get him a human spectre."

"Ye, and I cut him off mid sentence in front of the council." Shepard Shrugged, "Besides, I haven't done a lot yet, apart from getting myself a promotion." Her lopsided grin making an appearance as she smiled at the squad.

* * *

**A/N:** There may be a delay with the next chapter unfortunately, not sure how I want to lead into it. Already written most of it, but... missing an opening.


	5. Fire and Stone

**A/N:**** For anyone that has seen 'Paragon Lost', I'm ignoring their depiction of the Mako interior for this story, and replacing it with my own, since I want an excuse not to send everyone on every mission.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Fire and Stone**

Liara looked up shocked as she heard an explosion above her. If anyone was entering the almost deserted dig site by force, she knew she didn't want to be around for them to find her. It was probably only looters, looking to find something worth selling, but it could be a batarian slave grab. She ducked into one of the shelters containing the equipment the previous dig team had left, providing her a clear view of the walkway to the entrance as what appeared to be a small army walked through. She sat back against a crate, beginning to panic, this had to be a slave grab to need so many. As she looked frantically around the small camp for somewhere to hide, she looked at the prothean ruin in front of her. The structure had been built as a refuge around the time the protheans had disappeared, surely it could keep her safe against a few slavers.

She jumped again at the noise of the elevator beginning a decent towards the camp. The ruin was less than a hundred meters away, she could make it if she ran. As the elevator made a loud clank moving between section of the track, she ran out from her hiding place, throwing a barrier up around her, in case anyone decided to try to shoot her.

As she reached the opening at the exposed base of the ruin, Liara thought she saw the large shape of a krogan landing to the side. She didn't think krogan took slaves, or worked with batarians, but continued running frantically into the structure. She stopped once she reached a small control console within the entrance and began frantically trying to turn on the barriers. A krogan walked across the entrance, brushing dirt off his armour from his landing. He stopped at the entrance and turned to face the doctor, a menacing look in his eyes. "Surrender Doctor, Saren wants to speak with you." Saren? Wasn't he a Spectres? Why would he want to speak with her?

The krogan's look did nothing to calm Liara down, as she found the option she wanted on the console and selected it. The krogan saw her hand move away and charged forwards, lowering his head, as a blue barrier formed across the entrance, stopping the krogan dead, as he was forced back.

Liara let out a small squeak of shock as the shield flared, before sighing in relief, feeling at least remotely safe from this clear aggressor. She let out a sharp gasp, closing her eyes tightly, when she felt something lift her up, holding her in the centre of the entrance to the ruins a meter off the ground. As she stopped, she opened her eyes again, seeing the inside of a blue sphere in front of her. Her arms had been held out to her sides , while her legs hung below her. She hung her head at the realization that she was never going to be able to get out of there alive. "Goddess... Save me..."

* * *

While Ash and Kaidan had every reason to believe that their assignment would be Shepard, the rest of the group had no such reason to continue to follow her. None of them however had opted to leave. Wrex had decided that a rogue spectre would be a great fight, he only took his leave of the group for the time being, to confirm the Shadow Broker's payment. Garrus believed that the shame the rogue spectre put on his entire race, mixed with his growing frustration for the rules on how to work at C-Sec, was enough reason for him to take leave, and follow Shepard. Tali believed that helping to fight Saren would offer the best way to show she was willing to give of herself to help others, and would offer the opportunity to continue to study the geth.

It had taken an entire day for Udina to contact Shepard. They had spent the time wandering around the markets in one of the Wards, being hounded by a fan of Shepard's that had insisted on an autograph and photo. After meeting back up with Garrus, helped a C-Sec investigation to close down a group selling illegal weapons on the Citadel. Shepard had also been able to supply a reporter with information on Fist for their report. While getting lunch at a small café on the presidium, Shepard also intervened in an argument between an Alliance representative, in charge of public relations, and the husband of a woman in Ash's unit on Eden Prime. The Alliance had held the body to study the effects of geth weapons. At Ash and Shepard's outrage, the representative had agreed to have the body released to Mr Bhatia, to enable him to bury his wife.

Udina's timing proved as annoying as his personality, when he finally contacted Shepard, the marines were all enjoying coffee with Garrus and Tali in another Café, when he ordering them to report to the Normandy's docking bay. The five of them arrived to be met by Udina and Anderson by the airlock, after messaging Wrex to meet them there.

Udina turned to greet them as they approached, "I've got big news for you Shepard. Captain Anderson is giving you command of the Normandy. The ship is yours now."

"She's one of the fastest in the galaxy, and the stealth system makes her perfect for a Spectre. You even know the crew." The captain's voice was filled with regret. " Just... treat her well Commander."

Shepard was speechless, just standing there stunned, until Ash gave her a gently nudge in the back. "I-I will captain... She's a fine ship."

"I know you will Commander."

"Do we have any leads on Saren, any more geth attacks?" Shepard asked, looking between the two.

"Saren's gone, don't even try to find him. We need to find out more about the conduit, and where it is. We need to beat him to it." Anderson Stated

"We haven't had reports of any more attacks by the geth, but we do have a lead on Matriarch Benezia. She has a daughter, an archaeologist, currently at a dig site being sponsored by the University of Armali. We don't know that she's involved, but it might be sensible to try to find her, she researches the protheans exclusively. Unfortunately, they have no means of communication, it wasn't deemed necessary for the dig. They don't even have extranet access." Udina pulled out a OSD, "The University provided us with the location of the dig site."

"Guess we know where to start then"

"You're a Spectre, Shepard, you don't answer to us any more." Anderson reminded her.

"But, Shepard, your actions do reflect on humanity as a whole, try and remember that the next time you shoot your way through a situation. You make a mess, and I get hit with the political fallout."

Shepard crossed her arms and glared at the Ambassador, "Your job's politics, mine is to stop Saren. How about you just let me get on with it, Udina."

His face grew angry again at her response, a look that seemed to be becoming rather common for him. "Just remember Shepard, you were a human long before you became a Spectre" and he walked off without waiting for a response.

Shepard looked back at Anderson, "So what's this really about, David?" her voice full of concern. You'd never give up your command, he's pushing you aside."

"You need your own ship Shepard, a Spectre can't answer to anyone." He replied, his voice filled with regret.

"That may be, but you still got forced out."

"I have to admit, this isn't how I saw my career coming to an end. I've never wanted to become a paper pusher. I'm meant to captain a ship, not a desk. But, you're the one that can stop Saren, not me. If that means I need to step aside, I'll do what I have to."

"I'll... make the most of it, Sir. So, what is it that I keep hearing about between you and Saren?"

"We've been pushing for a Spectre for a long time, Shepard. I was once where you were with Nihlus. Twenty years ago they sent Saren and me on a mission. We hand information on a rogue scientist trying to develop AI technology. They had funding from several batarian groups, we couldn't let them continue. The Alliance had done the legwork, but the council wanted a spectre involved. As a compromise, I was assigned to work with Saren." Anderson looked down, his voice pained. "We'd traced the scientists to a refinery he was hiding in on Camala. The plan was to get in and out quickly and quietly, taking the scientist alive, but... It was a blood bath. We'd split up to cover more ground. I was closing on the scientist when there was a massive explosion. Officially it was ruled an accident, but I know Saren caused it to draw off guards. He killed almost everyone in that refinery, just to get to his target. He didn't even care about the pollution that covered the colony, thick toxic clouds. It was mission accomplished to him, and I took the blame for the casualties. Ruled out my Spectre candidacy, and set humanity's plans back twenty years."

"We already know Saren needs to be stopped. This is just one more thing he need to pay for. Until then, we have to catch him."

"Good luck, Commander" Anderson said as he saluted her.

She smiling back warmly as she returned the salute. "Thank you, Captain." before he turned and left the dock. "Right, let's get on board, and what is taking Wrex so long..."

* * *

Therum was a young planet, still covered with long strings of active volcanoes, and liquid rock and metal at the surface in places. The dig site was located at one, making a drop into the immediate area difficult, if not impossible. A sighting of a geth ship on the sensors was enough for Shepard to elect to drop in the Normandy's scout vehicle, the Mako, and drive to the dig site, meaning she needed to leave an empty seat to recover the Doctor If necessary.

Shepard sat in the driver's seat, while Ash sat to her right in the gunner's seat controlling the turret mounted on the off-road vehicle. Kaidan and Garrus sat in each seats behind them for transporting troops, with the only empty seat in the vehicle between them.

Ash looked over at the Commander, "You do know how to do a landing in this thing... right?"

Shepard looked back over at Ash, feinting outrage, "I'm an N7, combat driving is in the training program."

Ash looked to the back at Kaidan, "Is it just me, or was that not a yes?"

Shepard didn't give the group any more time for banter, and hit a button on her HI to contact Joker. "We're good to go down here, tell me you're almost ready to drop us off, please..."

"_Twenty seconds out Commander, you'll have a hundred meter drop to ground level, with a gentle slope below us."_

Shepard began etching the Mako towards the ramp at the front of the Normandy's cargo bay.

Joker pulled the Normandy to a stationary position above a small hill and opened the cargo bay door. _"You're good to go Commander, happy landings."_

Shepard shot the Mako forward off the ram, putting them into a free-fall towards the ground. Ash, Kaidan and Garrus gripped the front of their safety harnesses, while Shepard cheered, activating the Mako's thrusters at the last second to land them roughly, driving down the last of the slope, pulling up to a stop at the bottom with a jerk.

Ash looked back at Kaidan again, both of them looking slightly paler as Kaidan answered her previous question, "That defiantly wasn't a yes."

Shepard sighed, shaking her head slightly, unable to stop smiling as she drove the Mako off towards the dig site. After travelling through several tunnels constructed by Alliance miners from the colony, the geth drop ship flew overhead. It paused over the dig site, before flying into the upper atmosphere. "Joker, we have a sighting on the dropship flying overhead, do you think the Normandy can take it out?"

Joker replied, sounding quite excited, "Affirmative_ Commander, been itching to get this baby into a fire fight."_

"Just keep my ship in one piece Flight Lieutenant. Shepard out." She turned off the comm and looked at the squad in the Mako, "So, who feels like shooting some geth?"

* * *

The Mako pulled up at the base of a steep cliff, a narrow ledge offered the only way up. "Remind me to ask Pressly about his navigation skills when we get back. We're on foot from here out, dig site is at the top of that cliff."

The group climbed out of the Mako, working their way up the cliff in single file. The humans all worked their way up with their back to the rock face, while Garrus had to face the wall to maintain his balance. The ledge ended two meters below the top of the cliff, forcing the team to climb up without knowing what was waiting. The Commander pulled herself up, rolling over the edge to find herself behind a cluster of storage containers. She leant back over the edge offering an arm to help Kaidan, Garrus and finally Ash over the edge and into cover, before setting herself back with them.

Shepard and Garrus leaned past their cover, coming face to face with what appeared to be a large quadrupedal geth, charging a large cannon in its eye piece. "Duck!" Shepard screamed, as the two of them slammed back into cover, knocking into Kaidan and Ash. An energy blast hit behind them, filling the air with what felt like static electricity. Shepard and Garrus leant around the sides of their cover and began firing rapidly at geth soldiers that had begun moving towards their position, quickly thinning out their numbers as Kaidan overloaded the shields of multiple units at a time. Ash was aiming through a small gap between two crates, keeping the larger geth occupied.

As the last footsoldier fell, several shots hit the group from above. Ash screamed as a shot knocked out her shield, and a second one pierced her right shoulder. Garrus and Shepard began firing up towards an overhanging structure, with several geth crawling on like geckos, firing at them using a laser built into their eyepiece like the quadruped still firing at them from behind the crates. Kaidan began treating Ash with medi-gel for the gunshot wound.

As the last geth fell onto the ground in front of them, Shepard looked across to Ash and Kaidan, "She going to be okay?"

Kaidan looked over his shoulder at Shepard, his hands covered in blood. "She's stopped bleeding, but I think it hit an artery, we should get her back to the Normandy."

Shepard slammed a new thermal clip into her assault rifle. "Okay, we take out that quadruped, then we get Joker to bringing the ship in. Kaidan, try and overload it's shields, Garrus, just keep shooting it," Another blast hit the containers behind them causing Shepard to duck. "And whoever destroys that eye, gets a drink on me."

Garrus pulled his sniper rifle out, dropping his assault rifle to the ground. "Might as well find a bar right now, Shepard." His mandibles flaring in glee as he moved across to the gap Ash had been firing through.

The group began firing continuously at the large geth, while Kaidan continued to through electrical charges trying to overload the shields. As Shepard emptied a clip at it, Kaidan hit it with another overload, shorting out the shields. The head looked about panicked, while charging another shot, until Garrus's rifle fired, punching a large hole through the glowing eyepiece. Electricity sparked around the head, until the charge detonated, blowing apart the neck as the body slumped to the ground in a twisted mess of spindly legs.

Garrus looked back at Shepard with a toothy grin on his face, "Surely that's worth more than just one drink..."

"Don't push it Space Chicken." Shepard smiled opening a comm link to the Normandy. "Joker, we need an immediate evac for Ash."

"_Yes Commander... ETA, 2 minutes. Just finished with the drop ship, it's made an emergency landing into the side of a mountain."_

"Be quick Joker" She looked back at the group, "Kaidan, stay here with Ash, make sure she gets on board safely. Garrus, we need to down there."

Kaidan looked after the Commander as she and Garrus rose to their feet to walk off, "Aye-aye Commander."

Shepard and Garrus stepped up to a large metal door sealing the dig site... apart from the large hole that had been blown through the middle of it. Shepard tapped at the HI control of the door. "All seems operational, why wouldn't the geth just hack their way in?"

"Hmm, no idea, perhaps... nope, no idea. Let's just get moving."

The pair descended down the shaft towards the archaeologists camp. At the end of the tunnel, a walkway came out of the rock leading towards an elevator, and an ancient looking structure with a blue wall of light glowing within an opening. The pair got into the car, riding it to the base of the ruin where the camp was visible a short distance away with the cavern, passing more of the large opening in the alien structure every few meters, each with its own blue shield barring entry.

As they stood in the elevator waiting to reach the bottom, Garrus looked back to Shepard, "Okay, I give up, what's 'Space Chicken'?"

Shepard let out a laugh, "Chicken is a flightless bird native to earth reared for food... you're from space."

Garrus let out a small noise of approval, "Just because I can take down a giant geth in one shot, you resort to name calling."

The elevator pulled to a stop at the base of the alien structure, another blue wall shimmering just in front of them. A muffled voice could be heard from behind it, "Help, please, can anyone hear me?"

Shepard stepped in front of the covered opening, an Asari looking back at her, looking completely exhausted. "Doctor T'soni?"

"Y-yes... you're human, what are you doing here?"

"We were looking for you actually. Are you okay, what happened?"

"Erm, there was a loud explosion. I though it was a slave grab, so I ran in here. I knew the barrier curtain would keep them out. Then this Krogan landed, and I panicked... I must have hit something by mistake because it trapped me. Then the geth showed up, can you believe that, geth!"

"Ye, we saw some on the way down. So how do we get you out, and where did the krogan go?"

"You need to get to this console to turn of the defences, they can't be deactivated from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in though, the krogan and geth have been trying for days."

"I'm sure we'll come up with something." Looked back towards the small camp set up on the cavern floor below them, "We'll go see what we can do about the geth and that krogan, just don't... err... go anywhere..."

Liara didn't even notice as the two walked off towards the camp, barely fending off exhaustion due to her uncomfortable restraint.

Shepard and Garrus quick moved quickly towards a small cluster of buildings that had been constructed to house archaeology teams. As they worked their way past the mining laser that had been used to burrow into the cavern around the ruin, a small squad of geth ambushed them, quickly torn apart as Garrus overloaded their shields, leaving them open to fire from Shepard's assault rifle. The camp proved remarkably barren, offering nothing that might be able to let them past the barrier.

Shepard sat down against one of the tents looking back towards the ruin, "How can archaeologists, not have anything to actually get into a ruin?"

"It's fifty thousand years old, I'm amazed it's working at all. It's not like they had to shoot their way in." Shepard jumped up in a rush to Garrus's surprise, "Where are you going?"

"To get a _Really_ big gun!" she replied grinning.

He caught back up with her as she was powering up the mining laser. "Don't go for subtle do you?"

She looked back at him, the grin still plastered to her face. "Well you're free to make another suggestion." Shepard tapped the fire button, causing the laser to tear through the rock below the alcove they had found Liara in, until the firing sequence ended a second later, "Woops, too late."

They quickly made their way through the newly bored tunnel, finding themselves standing in a ring-shaped room, the ceiling visible above them, at the level they had first go on the elevator down. Looking around for a way up, they found what appeared to be a ladder built into the sides of the room, running up to the surface. They quickly climbed up to where they had left the asari, her head slumped over in as much of a slumped position as she could within the restraint.

Shepard walked over to the small console next to Liara, "Just hang on in there Doctor, can't have you falling asleep on me now, we're about to get out of here."

Liara looked up startled, "What... Who... How did you..." She slumped her head forwards again, "That human, I thought you were only a hallucination... How did you get in here?" A weak smile spread across the Asari's lips as she looked into Shepard eyes, finally believing she might get out of there alive.

Shepard couldn't help but grin, "Used a really big gun, found it kicking around by that camp of yours. So how do I get you out of there?"

"If you activate that HI console, there should be a red button, unfortunately the text is all in prothean."

Shepard continued to grin as she walked up to the console, "Always love a good big red buttons."

Garrus looked over at her in curiosity, "What is it with humans and red buttons, you all seem to be obsessed with them."

"Well, generally in human design, you don't press the red buttons. Usually used for detonators and that sort of thing. Just makes them rather..."

"Sorry, but I'm hanging in a big blue blubble, would you please let me out." Liara pleaded.

Shepard pressed the button indicated, causing the blue bubble, and barrier, to fade, dropping Liara to the floor. She landed on her feet, wobbling for a second before she collapsed. Shepard put an arm around Liara's back to pull her to her feet as a tremor shook the floor beneath both of them, causing the two of them to fall back to the ground, as Garrus clung onto a wall for support.

Garrus looked back at Shepard, what she guessed was alarm visible on his face. "I think you've managed to cause the volcano that buried this ruin erupt..."

Shepard pulled them both up to their feet, facing back into the ruin. "Right... well that's not good. We need a way out that's a little faster than that latter, she's in no shape to climb it."

Liara placed a hand onto the console beside her, tapping several buttons causing a bridge to extend towards a platform in the middle of the room on top of what Shepard had assumed to be a wall running all the way up to the top of the ruin. "I believe that's an elevator in the middle of the room... At least... I think it's an elevator."

The group made their way to the elevator, just as another tremor shook them, "Okay, we need to get moving quickly." Shepard maneuvered Liara up tot he console in the centre of the platform, "Can you get this thing moving?" Liara nodded weakly and began working the console as Shepard tapped her helmet to open a comm to the Normandy, "Joker, status update!"

"_Well, apart from the volcano threatening to erupt from under us, we could use a new light bulb in the men's toilets. Please tell me you're almost back to the ship!"_

"We'll just be a few minutes Joker, we've got the Doctor," Shepard stumble as the platform lurched upwards, "and apparently, found a short cut to the surface."

"_Roger that Commander, Kaidan and Ash are back on board in the medbay."_

"Good to hear Joker, Shepard out."

The elevator pulled to a halt at the top of the shaft, putting the group face to face with an angry looking krogan and squad of geth. "Surrender, or don't. That would be more fun."

"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart, or are you planning on waiting for the eruption?"

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" The krogan laughed, looking at Liara still being supported by Shepard. "Hand over the Doctor, and I'll consider letting you go."

Shepard looked at Liara as she let out a faint whimper, "I have a feeling she wants to stay with us, thanks."

"Not an option," The korgan snarled pulling out a shotgun before barking an order to the geth. "Kill them, spare the Doctor if you can! If not, doesn't matter." He shrugged casually.

The krogan flinched as a geth blew up beside him as Garrus overloaded it's power core, letting Shepard pull Liara behind a large pillar running to the high ceiling. She returned to Garrus's side, helping him dispatch the geth quickly. As the last geth collapsed in a pile of broken metal the pair looked around frantically for the krogan that had managed to disappear from sight. They spotted Liara struggling to her feet and walking out from behind the pillar as the Krogan charged her from the opposite one. As he charged Liara threw a hand up, falling to the ground to defend herself as the krogan sailed over her head, bathed in blue, hitting the side of the room with a loud crunch before landing dazed. Shepard walked up the the krogan with her shotgun out, pointing it at at his eye socket, "Nice try." She pulled the trigger, shattering the bone plate in the Krogan's head. Leaving him dead on the floor, she turned back to find Liara unconscious on the floor, Garrus checking on her. Shepard walked over to the pair as a larger tremor shook the room, large fissures forming in the structure of the room.

"Okay, we need to go now Garrus" She shouted, as she pulled the unconscious doctor into her arms and started towards the exit.

Garrus fell into step beside her, the two of them leaving the large chamber as the pillars gave way, the roof collapsing throwing dust up around them. They sped up to a sprint, as much as Shepard could carrying a second person, as the cave and tunnel around them collapsed, steam coming of the rocks as they were heating up. They reached the surface as the entrance caved in, small rocks flying back at them as they continued to the Normandy's waiting cargo bay, still sprinting. Garrus opened a comm to the cockpit as they reached the ram, "We're on board Joker, go!" The Normandy pulled up, sealing the door as they climbed through the atmosphere. Shepard put Liara down on the cargo bay floor and called for a med-team as she collapsed on the floor against her, exhausted from running with her.

* * *

"The report's off to the council, they'll probably be contacting us in a bit." There was little to actually be shared in the debriefing, with Ashley and Liara in the medbay, but Shepard felt getting the group into the habit of feeding back on missions afterwards would help cohesion within the squad, especially with Wrex.

"I still can't believe you caused a volcanic eruption, and you didn't even invite me." Wrex predictably grumbled.

"Yes Wrex, at least you got to miss the second natural disaster Shepard was responsible for on that planet, her driving." Garrus teased, "I don't know how you didn't destroy the Mako with that alone."

"Guess that explains the need to melt it in an active volcano," Kaidan joked, "hide the evidence?"

Joker chose this moment to chip in, _"She almost managed the same with the Normandy, I'm going to have to have the ground crew touching up the paint work once we get into dock."_

Shepard buried her face in her hands. She'd expected a bit of banter from the group, but they didn't seem to be letting up. "Okay, dismissed everyone."

"_Oh, and I have the Council on the line Commander."_

"Put them through Joker. Everyone, you're dismissed."

"Ah, Commander Shepard," The Asari Councillor said as the council's holograms formed, "We've received your report... Doctor T'Soni is on board the Normandy?"

"I assume you're taking the necessary precautions, Commander?"

"Doctor T'Soni was being attacked by the geth, under the command of a Krogan actually. She barely made it out of there alive."

"Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her daughter."

"Perhaps she doesn't know." The Salarian Councillor offered

"Or you don't know her" The Turian Councillor spat. "We never expected she would commit treason."

"At least the mission was a success."

"Yes... Except for the complete and utter destruction of a major prothean, that was still under study. Was that really necessary Shepard?"

"Well if you come up with a better way to get past prothean... what did she call them... barrier curtains, let me know. We were lucky to get the Doctor out."

"Of course commander, the mission must always take priority."

"Good luck Commander, we'll contact you if we get any information that may help." The Asari councillor said before cutting the line.

"They can really annoy me sometimes." Shepard sighed, "Okay, I'm going down to the medbay to check up on our guest and marine, If you need me for anything I'll be down there." She said to Joker as she walked out the comm room.

As she walked in the medbay she walked over to Doctor Chakwas, "How're they doing then doc?"

The Doctor looked over as Shepard spoke, "They should be fine Commander, Chief Williams took some patching up, but she should be on her feet by tomorrow. Thankfully the medi-gel prevented too much blood loss. Doctor T'Soni didn't suffer any major injuries, just a few cuts. She was however dehydrated and exhausted, it seems that biotic attack you mentioned she used put her system into shock, I believe she must have been trapped in there for at least two days. For now I have her on an IV.


	6. Shore Leave

**Chapter 5 – Shore Leave**

She felt herself gently coming to consciousness, aware of the cooler air temperature than she remembered. She opened her eyes until she slammed them shut again, blinded by the light above her. Where was she? She rolled onto her side and opened them again, freezing as she saw a pair of green eyes looking at her. She relaxed instantly, feeling safe in their gaze.

Shepard looked up as she heard Liara stirring beside her. She had spent the night in the medbay with both Liara and Ashley, concerned for injured marine. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Liara open her blue eyes. "Morning, how do you feel?"

Liara let out a small mewl before she replied, "I'm... I'm good. Where am I?"

"You're on my ship, the Normandy. We're docked at the Citadel at the moment."

"I... Thank you for rescuing me... erm, I'm afraid I can't recall your name?"

"I'm Commander Shepard," Shepard said as she stood, offering a hand to help Liara out of bed. "and we're getting breakfast."

Liara took Shepard's hand, letting her lead her out of the medbay to the mess hall. She paused looking at the option on the food dispenser? "I've never eaten human food before..."

Shepard flicked over the menu options, "Well, we've got hot and cold options, what are you use to?"

"Er, ration packs..."

"Right, something better than cardboard..." Shepard joked, flicking over the menu, tapping it a few times for a portion of bacon eggs and toast, and a bowl of fruit.

Liara took the bowl of fruit rather intrigued by the variety of colours, some resembling thessian foods, while some appeared completely foreign. As she picked up her fork, the bowl was pushed aside to be replaced by the cooked breakfast. Shepard smiled as the asari looked at her puzzled, "You collapsed from exhaustion after being stuck in a restraint system for several days. You've been on an IV, but you'll want to get your strength back." She added a large glass of water to Liara meal before grabbing her own portion and joining her.

Liara put the fork down and looked at Shepard with an expression of curiosity, "I'm grateful for you saving me Commander, and not just from the geth, but... I'm puzzled why an Alliance ship and officer have taken any interest in saving a single asari archaeologist from Saren, who I believe is a turian spectre. I don't even know why he wanted to capture me."

Shepard couldn't help but smile at Liara's bluntness. "Well, this isn't exactly an Alliance ship any more. Sure, I'm in the Alliance military, but also I'm a spectre." Shepard said, smiling slightly as the look of curiosity drained from Liara's face to be replaced by shock. "Saren is no longer a spectre, the council revoked his status after he led a geth attack on a human colony for a prothean beacon that was discovered there." Shepard couldn't help but feel rather uncomfortable at the look of excitement on the prothean expert's face. "Don't get too excited, after the beacon gave me some sort of vision, it was destroyed. We believe Saren is searching for something called the conduit, we're guessing it's related to the extinction of the protheans on some information we gained from the geth."

"I'm afraid I've never even heard of this... conduit before, information on the protheans is little and far between. Even less is available on their extinction, my true area of expertise." Liara looked down at the food in front of her and bravely took her first mouthful. Shepard smiled as Liara quickly ate a few more mouthfuls before looking back at Shepard, "Sorry, where was I?"

"Your area of expertise."

"Yes, I've been studying the protheans for the last fifty years, trying to work out what happened to them." She paused at he look of shock on Shepard's face, "Erm... sorry, what have I done?"

"Nothing, it's just... fifty years, how old are you?"

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm only a hundred and six." She paused again, blushing, as the look of shock remained on Shepard's face, "What?"

"Only a hundred and six, is that all. I'm twenty nine, and you look younger than me."

"A century might seem like a long time to a short lived species like your own, but among asari I'm barely considered more than a child. It's actually the reason my research and theories haven't received the credit they deserve."

"Afraid I might have to put an end to theories on their extinction. "Shepard tapped the side of her head, "The beacon showed me what I believe is there extinction. Unfortunately, I can't make sense of most of it, but I do believe though that they were wiped out by a race of machines called the reapers."

"That... makes sense, it would explain why it seems that something removed every trace they could of the protheans from the galaxy. I'm amazed you survived the beacon however, they were designed to interact directly with prothean technology. It would have driven a lesser mind to insanity, you must be incredibly strong willed Commander."

Shepard gulped slightly at the insanity mention, she'd spent plenty of time with psychotherapists after Elysium. No one seemed to understand how she had kept her sanity after the slaughter she had witnessed, and inflicted, to safe the colonists.

Liara continued eagerly, missing the uncomfortable look on Shepard's face. "This is may however offer an explanation to some of my other findings, I believe the protheans weren't the first race to span the galaxy, only to mysteriously disappear. This cycle started long before them. Each civilization rises to greatness on the technology of those that came before them, even the prothean's greatest achievements, the mass relays, the Citadel, are based on the technology of those that came before. The lack of evidence however makes it impossible to prove, I cannot simply point to any piece of evidence. The protheans left remarkably little behind, there is even less evidence on those that came before them. All I have is a feeling, based on half a century of dedicated research, but I know I am right. These reapers and that beacon may be all the proof I need, or they would be..."

"Do you have any idea why Saren would go after the conduit, or your mother for that matter?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea, I wasn't really paying much attention to my attackers after I was trapped in the ruin. As for my mother, I haven't seen her in many years." Liara put her cutlery down, clearly uncomfortable, "I was aware she had joined Saren, but I have no idea why."

Shepard looked at her sympathetically, "Sorry, but I had to ask. If you'll excuse me, I should get started on a few jobs we need to take care of today. I suggest you finish eating, and then return to the medbay to see the doctor." She got up from the table to place her empty plate into compartment to be cleaned before turning back to Liara who was looking slightly disappointed as she went back to eating. "I'll see you later Doctor."

Liara only managed to return a nod with a mouthful of bacon as the Commander left, leaving her alone. She quickly finished the plate of food she had been left with before pulling the more colourful bowl of fruit back in front of her, looking slightly more familiar to what she had eaten back on Thessia. She quickly decided she didn't care for the highly acidic taste of an orange fruit in segments, but happily ate the rest before returning the plated and bowl to the same compartment before heading back to the medbay.

As the door closed behind Liara, Doctor Chakwas looked up to greet her, "Ah, Doctor T'Soni, I trust you feel better after your breakfast this morning?"

"Yes, thank you Doctor. Shepard suggested that I come back to see you. I also wanted to thank you for taking care of me while I was unconscious."

"Just doing my job Doctor."

Liara carefully interrupted the Doctor as she paused, "Please, Liara is fine."

Doctor Chakwas smiled and nodded kindly before she continued, "You were hardly the more worrying case I had to deal with yesterday anyway." She looked towards the still sleeping Ashley, "She was shot while they were making their way to the dig site to find you, not that she'll ever complain about it. She's made a full recovery though, I'm amazed she's not already awake."

"I'm... sorry I caused this, hardly seems fair."

Chakwas could only smiled back at her, "Hardly your fault dear, you didn't cause this, Saren did."

"Thank you," Liara smiled sweetly, just to find herself standing there unsure of what to do or where to go.

"Is there anything else I can help you with Liara?"

"I don't really know what I should be doing. I assume it would be best if I rested, but I'm... not fond of sleeper pods." Liara admitted, looking down at her feet sheepishly.

"Not to worry, we have fold out beds in case the medbay is ever full, and that supply cupboard" the Doctor gestured over her shoulder to a door, "is almost completely empty. I'm sure I can set you up with some room in there if you plan on staying for a while."

"If Shepard's chasing after a rumored prothean artifact, I should be able to help, and I would like to be able to repay her for my rescue."

"Okay, come on. I'll set you up, but you should talk to Shepard about staying as soon as you get then chance, but I'm sure she'll be happy for you to stay." the Doctor said as she led Liara back to the storage cupboard.

* * *

Shepard had gone strait to the Alliance's requisitions office on the Citadel after she had left Liara, deciding that replacing something like the Mako would be a lot of paper work, she wanted to get it done as early in the day as she could. It had proven easy enough, although she could swear that the staff had found it hilarious that a Mako had been destroyed by means other than enemy gunfire, apparently they were found to be almost indestructible. Unfortunately, the soonest a Mako could be sent to the Citadel for the Normandy was two days, so Shepard had decided to give the crew two days shore-leave.

On route back to the Normandy however, she was ambushed by Admiral Kahoku that had been chasing politics across the Alliance's offices on the Citadel, trying to find a squad of troops that had gone silent in the Artemis Tau cluster. Shepard had agreed to investigate, very interested in why the Alliance seemed to have been blocking Kahoku's investigation into what had happened.

Shepard's announcement of shore leave was met what a cheer from the crew. Despite the need to find Saren, she still didn't have any more leads to follow, and with the Council, Ambassador Udina, Captain Anderson, and a message she had sent to Admiral Hackett, she felt there was nothing she could do to help until someone got back to her. While a skeleton crew had remained on duty, the majority had promptly left to relax and get away from duty. Shepard was also pleased to find that Ash was up and about, and unhappy she was only cleared for light duty, despite the fact she wasn't on duty at all.

Shepard spent the rest of the day shut in her quarters, filling out paperwork and handling the day to day running of the ship. She had largely been putting it off since being given command, but with a period of unexpected downtime left her with little in the way of an excuse. As promised, she went to check on Liara later in the evening. As she walked into the medbay, she was met with the sight of Ash and Liara standing by a door at the far end shouting at each other.

Liara seemed oblivion to Shepard's presence as she shouted "I am not my mother!" at Ash, before walking through the door and sealing it behind her.

Shepard walked up to Ash, "What exactly was that about, Chief?"

"Erm... well, she said she planned on staying on board the Normandy, and I simply said we can't trust so many aliens on-board an Alliance ship. I mean, Wrex, Garrus and Tali helped us, but..." Ash paused as Shepard was visibly getting more annoyed. "She's Benezia's daughter, she's a huge security risk."

"Okay, Chief, does your mother have security clearance for the Normandy?" Shepard asked, her voice far harsher than she intended.

"No, Commander"

"And have you sent her the schematics, security details, and other classified information about the Normandy, Chief?" Shepard began to rein her voice in.

"No Commander, but she's an alien, and the daughter of one of the-"

Shepard stopped the chief with a stern look, "We have no reason not to trust her." Shepard sighed slightly to calm herself again, "She has done nothing, she hasn't had any contact with Benezia, and I believe her."

"Well, none of them are human, Ma'am. I just don't think they should have complete access to the most advanced ship in the Alliance fleet."

"She was only built with the assistance of the turians, and the rest of the Council. Don't you trust the Council races?"

"Well, no. They seem noble, and have good enough intentions, but if their backs are against the wall, they won't stick their neck out for humanity. We have to look out for ourselves."

Shepard sighed, she hated dealing with this kind of opinion. "Just because we need to stand up for ourselves, it doesn't mean we need to turn away allies."

"I know, but they're not human. They will always consider their own species to be more important to them. It's just natural I guess." Ash responded uncomfortably, she was rapidly running out of arguments, and didn't think the Commander was the kind of person to let something go between her crew.

"Right, just lay it out for me Williams, what exactly has you believing this so solidly?"

"Well... my family's defended the Alliance since it was founded. The line goes back to my great grandmother, all picking up a rifle and swearing the oath of service. I guess we just think of the Alliance's interests as our own."

"That may be, but this is a multilateral mission, authorized by the Council, not the Alliance. You have to work with aliens, like it or not."

Ash saluted, "Yes Ma'am. You say jump, I ask how high. Tell me to kiss a turian, I ask which cheek."

Shepard couldn't help but to smile, "I'll give Garrus fair warning first. Dismissed Chief." Ash turned and walked out but Shepard couldn't help but add to it, "I think they prefer it on the lips." laughing as Ash's pace increased notably until she stopped at the door into the mess hall.

"Shepard, I'm organizing a night out for the squad tomorrow night. You're invited of course, would you invite T'Soni? Not sure it would be appreciated from me right now."

"Sure thing Ash." Shepard turned to the supply cupboard Liara had gone into as Ash left and knocked on the door.

"Leave me alone!" Liara screamed from inside.

Shepard paused, not expecting as much fire in the young asari's voice before she responded, "Liara, It's Shepard."

Liara opened to door, tears were running down her face, her cheeks bright blue with embarrassment. "I'm sorry for shouting at you Shepard."

"It's fine Liara, I caught the end of what happened with Ash. I've spoken to her about it.

Liara's blush only deepened, "You didn't have to do that."

"A marine under my command was questioning my orders, and my team, and I assume, attacking you personally."

Liara looked down shyly, "Thank you Commander."

"Now, I came here to find out what you plan on doing now that you've been released properly by the doctor. You're welcome to stay and join the team, and if that display against the krogan was anything to go by, you're more than welcome to. Or, you should be able to get a ship almost anywhere from the Citadel." Shepard couldn't help but sound less than thrilled at the last option.

Liara looked up at Shepard, those green eyes... She wanted to stay, but why? The beacon? She could hardly stay purely because of personal interest. Shepard had saved her... "If Saren is after me, I can't imagine anywhere safer than your ship Commander." She couldn't help but smile as she saw Shepard do the same.

"Well, in that case, I was asked to give you an invitation, seems my team is planning a trip to Flux tomorrow night and would like you to come along, we all would."

"I'd love to." Liara hadn't even thought about it, she'd barely even heard what Shepard said before she'd responded.

Shepard nodded to Liara and turned to leave, pausing right before the door. "I'd like you to receive some lessons from Gunnery Chief Williams on side-arms. I know there isn't a human that could rival your biotics, but it would be sensible."

Liara could only Shepard a very nervous smile. "That sounds like a sensible idea." She crashed on the small bed in the corner after Shepard left, lessons with Williams, just what she needed after they had fallen out.

* * *

The next morning, Shepard was woken my her infernal console. She could swear she'd turned the alarm off last night. She stumbled out of bed, over to the console, finding a message waiting for her, presumably responsible for the alert. Apparently, Shepard had to meet the asari diplomat that had sent the message.

Shepard walked off the ship an hour later with Williams in tow. She'd realized while dressing that morning that she needed something to go out in that night, rather than military uniform. The two walked out of the military's private dock into the public docking bay, coming face to face with a crowd of reporters. A small hovercam zipped past her head and stopped focusing on her. Shepard sighed and buried her head in her hand as she was met by shouts of "Commander Shepard!" from everyone in the room. She sterned her expression, before looking at the crowd, "I understand you'll have some questions you want to ask, but I only have time for a few. "

Shepard noted that the crow seemed to be almost entirely human as a human raised a hand to ask a question, "Humanity has been trying to get the respect of the galactic community for twenty six years. With that in mind, what are your feelings on being the first human Spectre?"

Shepard moved into parade rest as she considered her answer, "Spectres represent the best of every species in the galaxy. To be asked to join them is an honour."

The next reporter barely waited for Shepard to finish speaking before he cut in. "Some have said your appointment is the Council throwing humanity a bone. Have you encountered any situations where they have asked to to place their needs before the needs of earth?"

Shepard maintained her stoic composure, unwilling to bite. "The Council concerns it's self with the needs of the whole galactic community, we're become a part of that community. Our needs are on their agenda, just like everyone else's."

"You really believe that don't you." The reporter replied, seemingly stunned with Shepard's response.

A reporter Shepard recognized as being from the Alliance news network slid between two other reporters to the front, raising a hand. "You've been given command of an advanced human warship for your mission's, is there anything you'd like to say about it?"

"Actually, the Normandy isn't entirely a human design, she was co designed with turian engineers. She represent the best of what we can do working together. Her design incorporated many prototype and experimental technologies, all of which are classified I'm afraid."

"So the turians have knowledge of the Normandy's systems that's being kept from the Alliance public. Do you think it was appropriate to hand earth's most advanced warship over to the Council?" He replied, clearly thinking he'd found an angle to over shadow Shepard's appointment.

"I wasn't aware the Normandy had been handed over to anyone. I'm in command of the Normandy, and her crew is Alliance, even if my team includes many of the galactic races. Now if you'll excuse me, I should go."

An overexcited woman pushed her way to the front as Shepard turned to find a way past. "Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Commander, one more question. Rumour back home says you're chasing after a rogue Spectre named Saren, can you comment on that?"

"I'm afraid I cannot comment on what my current mission may or may not be. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." Shepard turned and pushed her way through the crowd without giving them another chance to stop her.

Shepard walked into the presidium Café she had been told to go to, an asari sitting next to the entrance speaking to her as she entered. "Ah, Commander Shepard, I am Nassana Dantius. I see you got my message."

Shepard looked at the asari and crossed her arms, frowning at the asari's attempts to appear superior. "Ye, I just thought I'd stop by to let you know that some people don't appreciate being ordered about like a dog. You said you need my help, I'll hear you out."

"Thank you, Commander. My sister, Dahlia, serves on a cargo vessel out in the fringes of the traverse. Her ship was attacked by privateers, there were no reported survivors. Last week however, I received a message with voice on it, and a ransom demand. The pirates killed the rest of the crew and captured her."

"Why didn't they kill her along with everyone else?"

"They must have figured out who she was, my family has considerable funds, Commander. We thought they would release her if we met their demands, but we haven't heard from them since. I was able to track the credits to find their location though, my position offers some capable friends."

Shepard felt uneasy, she'd never heard of a kidnap victim surviving the ransom payment. "I assume C-Sec can't help?"

"If I got to them, I'll be considered a security risk, I'll be forced out of the embassy."

"Right, so you want me to go rescue her?"

Nassana nodded, "Please, You're her only hope."

"I'll see what I can do." Shepard turned to look at Ash, finding she had disappeared from behind her. She spotted Ash with a cup of coffee over by the counter and took a seat next to her, "Woke up yet?"

"Just don't kick me out of bed without coffee too often Skipper." Ash smiled, slowly waking up.

"Well, I guess I thought the idea of shopping would get you moving." Shepard smiled, "While I have you for a sec, I want you to give T'Soni some lessons on side arms. She wants to join the team, and we could certainly use the help of a prothean expert."

"Aye-aye Skipper," Ash said on cue, "Let's hit the shops." She said draining her cup and leaving the counter.

As they reached one of the better known areas on the citadel to shop, Ash began to instantly regret her decision to help the commander find something for that night, but she certainly didn't give up on anything. After the first dozen shops, she was wearing down however, until they had found a pair of tight leather trousers had caught the Commanders eye. Shepard had adamantly protested against anything involving a skirt. After finding the trousers however they had quickly found a jacket and top to go with it, and against Shepard's better judgement, a set of incredibly discrete underwear to avoid it showing. The pair had made their way back to the Normandy, this time however going through C-Sec's facilities to avoid the public space port, and the press.

* * *

Shepard looked over the hand railing next to her down towards the table the group had laid claim to earlier. Tali was deep in a drunken conversation with Garrus, while the marines seemed to have disappeared into the crowd. Wrex had accepted Ash's invitation, but since arriving at the club, he seemed determined to go through the Volus owner's supply of Ryncol. Liara, however, sat at the table in silence, her first drink sat untouched since her first sip, gently rubbing her gloved hands together. She sat up from the quasar machine she had gone to to avoid Ash's attempts to get her drunk, taking her winnings of fifty credits, in the red, and started back down to the table.

Shepard sat own next to Liara, causing the asari to jump in surprise, apparently lost in the contents of her glass, "Not to your tastes?"

Liara gently shook her head, before she had to shout her response "Williams insisted on buying me a drink, but I had no idea what to choose. I was just trying to be polite."

"Reminds me, I owe Garrus a drink." Shepard slid a credit chit to sit under on of Garrus's talons, "You should have seen what he did to a geth while we were going to get you." Shepard put a hand in Liara's, causing the asari to jump again, missing a rush of blue through her cheeks. "Come on, you obviously want to get out of here." Shepard gently pulled Liara to her feet and quickly wove her way out of the club with Liara in tow.

Liara sighed as the sound the club faded behind them, "Why do they always make the music in those places so loud? It's almost like people want an excuse not to talk to each other."

Shepard smiled at the asari, "Some of the people in there don't want to." Shepard stopped as they passed a liquor store and dashed in, leaving Liara standing in the street waiting. She reappeared a few minutes later with a paper bag, offering her arm to Liara.

Liara eagerly put her arm around Shepard as the two made their way back towards the Normandy. The docks appeared as busy as ever, despite the late hour, as the two boarded. Shepard lead her through the CIC, slowly becoming uncomfortable in the asari robe she had chosen to wear for the evening, her awareness of how tight it fitted her increasing. Fortunately, Shepard led her back tot he captain's quarters.

Shepard gestured for Liara to sit down at a small table just inside the door, while she rummaged through a cupboard on the wall opposite, pulling out a pair of glasses. She set them down on the table as Liara took the seat, before taking the seat opposite.

Liara looked down uncomfortably, feeling bad for thinking the Commander had left purely for her. "I wanted to thank you for letting me stay on-board Commander, I know your crew doesn't trust me. Chief Williams has made that quite clear. But... I am not Benezia, I want to do everything I can to help you catch Saren."

"Liara, I trust you, and we're still on shore leave, relax." Shepard pulled a bottle out of the bad, filling both glasses up and passing one to Liara. "I thought you might prefer something a little more familiar. And don't feel you need to be polite."

Liara smiled shyly at the comment, gladly accepting the glass from Shepard before taking a large sip from the glass, "How did you find out about elasa, Commander."

"I once shared a glass with my former CO when I graduated the N7 program." Shepard emptied her glass in one mouthful, "Have to admit, certainly a favourite of mine." She said refilling her glass. "Oh, and lose the Commander and Shepard. We're off duty, Jane is fine. Just don't use it around the crew."

Liara took another sip from her glass as Shepard spoke, "Thank you Coman-Jane." She blushed slightly at her slip, looking around the room to try and hide her embarrassment. She paused to look at a picture framed on the Commander's desk, and what appeared to be a portrait of the Commander, although the hair appeared to be browner than Shepard's fiery red. "Is the image in that frame of you?"

Shepard looked over at the only decoration she had placed in the quarters, "It's an image of a painting I made of my mother, right after I signed on with the Alliance. I guess she'd been the only constant in my life, and I wanted something of her. The original is in her quarters aboard the Kilimanjaro. Sorry to say I haven't seen her for years now." Shepard leant back in her chair, smiling, "So come on, your turn, tell me a little about you."

"To be honest, there isn't much to tell. I spend most of my time on remote dig sites, unearthing mundane items in long – forgotten prothean ruins."

"You must enjoy your work to be willing to isolate yourself so much to pursue it."

Liara smiled as she emptied her glass, "I guess seeking out history's lost secrets hold a large appeal for me. You were touched by actual working prothean technology, you... fascinate me."

Shepard felt her heart skip a beat as Liara finished her sentence before kicking herself. She was a grown woman, in the military with a mission. Was she seriously finding herself attracted to a young asari she'd literally pulled out of a hole in the ground. Fascinating huh, do I need to make sure I keep my door looked in case I get dissected in the middle of the night?" She couldn't help but make a little fun of the poor asari.

"What?" Liara sounded distraught at the idea, "No, I only meant you would be an interesting specimen for an in depth study... No, that's even worse."

"Relax Liara, I was only teasing."

"Oh, by the goddess... how could I..." Liara shook her head before burring it in her hands to hide as he face turned several shades darker. "Now you see why I prefer data disks and dig sites, I always seem to manage to imply the wrong idea around other people, or worse."

Shepard let a small laugh escape at the Doctor's embarrassment, "The elasa can't be helping."

Liara looked up showing how much brighter the blue on her face had gotten, "Trying to get me drunk, Commander?" She buried her face again as she realized she'd just said that. Could one glass really be affecting her that much.

Shepard couldn't help but smile at Liara, "The idea hadn't even crossed my mind, Doctor." she replied teasingly. She silently kicked herself again, how much had she drank? Several at flux, plus two large glasses of elasa, safe to say she was past tipsy. How strong was this stuff exactly, she had never bothered to check?

* * *

**A/N: **This is probably the most off story I've gotten, and has far more of that the characters are thinking than previous chapters. So please, any and all reviews are extremely welcome.


	7. Killing Time

A/N: sorry for the long wait, but this is the fourth version of this chapter, been a bit of a nightmare to get everything quite how I wanted it.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Killing Time**

The Mako's landing was only slightly smoother than Shepard's last attempt, but Wrex at least didn't complain. The same couldn't however be said for Kaidan, manning the turret, and Garrus, who had complained repeatedly that Shepard wasn't letting him man the gun. Shepard had once again had to leave space for another person in the Mako, making it far easier to refuse Ash's request to go, since she still wasn't cleared for heavy-duty.

Shepard was surprised as the Mako pulled up outside a large building, from the looks of it, made out of a converted freighter, surprised that they hadn't been attacked by anyone guarding the building. Presumably, they felt confident enough that the system was far enough away from anything significant to be attacked. The team filed out the the vehicle towards an access hatch in a rear cargo pod before bursting through, weapons firing instantly. Wrex led as the group worked their way through the cargo container, a biotic barrier glowing around him to shield himself, and the others behind him, while Kaidan threw pirates hiding in cover out into the open for the other three to quickly gun down. They progressed through the ship until only the bridge remained, having not found any sign of the asari they were looking for, or any prisoners at all. Wrex forced his way through the door, not waiting for Kaidan to hack it, before being thrown back instantly as a biotic throw ripped threw his barrier. Shepard instinctively fire her shotgun at a single asari in the room, armed and armored.

* * *

Liara gently stirred in her sleep, rubbing her face into the pillow below her head. She inhaled deeply as she opened her eyes, a small smile spreading across her lips as a subtle sweet smell filled her senses. She blinked rapidly as the lights slowly rose around her until she slammed her eyes shut. Still partially asleep, she opened her eyes again, getting a quick look around before once again closing them, unable to work out exactly where she was. She thought back, realizing she couldn't remember how she had got there, but she did remember a bottle. She remembered leaving Flux with Shepard, and that bottle. They had sat down in Shepard's quarters, that's where she must be, and had a drink together. Liara opened her eyes again, managing to keep them open, and spotted an empty bottle and pair of glasses on a table on the other side of the room. She looked back over her shoulder to check if Shepard was on the bed as well, although she wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved that Shepard wasn't there. Liara slid her legs over the side of the bed, straightening her robe out that had ridden up when she'd curled up to sleep. She rose to her feet, wavering slightly, putting a hand to hear head as it began throbbing, and walked out of the quarters back to sickbay.

Doctor Chakwas looked up as the door opened, for what was probably thevsixth time that morning. "Ah, Liara, how are you today."

Liara looked up to the Doctor as she wobbled into the medbay, deciding that the Doctor was looking at her far too happily for how she felt. Trying to greet her, Liara only managed a quiet moan before sitting herself on a bed.

"Hangover?" the Doctor asked, smiling slightly as Liara nodded gently, retrieving a paper cup and glass of water to set them down next to Liara. "These should take the edge off. Think I saw all of Shepard's ground team this morning, except for Wrex."

Liara quickly took the pills before looking back to the Doctor, "Thank you." before she gently rose to her feet again and headed towards the cupboard she had taken over for a change of cloths.

Liara emerged from the women's showers half an hour later, feeling far better, as Shepard stormed out of the elevator from the cargo bay shouting, "That god damn asari owes me one hell of an explanation!" followed by Kaidan and Garrus as she disappeared up towards the CIC. Liara froze for a second, before chasing after Shepard, panicking she had done something the night before she couldn't remember.

Shepard led the group into the comm room, shouting "Joker, get us to the Colombia System" over the ship's comm as she walked towards the comm room's terminal. "And get me that bloody asari diplomat on the line."

Liara ran into the room just before the door closed. "Shard, whatever I did, I'm sorry." she shouted as she came to a halt behind the group.

Liara turned a brighter shade of blue as the group turned to face her with a look of confusion on their faces. "What... what are you on about Liara?" Shepard managed to ask before she looked at the two guys flanking her. "Could you give us a minute."

Kaidan and Garrus slowly filed out, muttering between themselves, leaving Liara standing in front of Shepard, silently staring at the floor between them. Shepard just looked at her, still appearing confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

Liara looked up at Shepard, "I heard you shouting, you were angry. I thought I must have done something wrong last night." she said quietly, managing to turn a shade brighter.

"Liara, I wasn't shouting about you. I enjoyed last night, and you're an adorable drunk by the way." Shepard sighed, smiling as she watched Liara turn brighter still at the last comment. "It was Nas-"

"Commander, I have the Diplomat on the line." Joker interrupted over the comm.

"She can wait Joker." Shepard quickly replied before smiling at Liara, "This should answer everything if you want to hang around." Liara nodded as Shepard stepped up the console, gently pulling Liara along with her. "Put her through Joker."

"Ah, Commander Shepard, I don't appreciate being called only to be put on hold." the image of Nassana drawled.

"And I don't appreciate being tricked into killing your sister." Shepard retorted, she felt a small shiver run threw Liara at the aggression in her voice. "Let me guess, she got in the way of your own political ambitions. You were afraid she'd be discovered, or worse, arrested, and you'd have to deal with the consequences?"

"If anyone had found out, I would have been deemed a security risk. They would have placed me on administrative leave. Not something that's going to do my career any good, now is it."

"That doesn't change that you lied to me!" Shepard shouted, her anger resurfacing after Liara had managed to calm her down.

"I do apologize Shepard, we have trust issues in my family." the asari continued to drawl, trying to sound high and mighty.

Liara was the one to to respond, despite not having said a word yet, with an incredibly sarcastic "clearly..."

Nassana's hologram looked at Liara with a look of pure fury. "How dare you talk to me like that, you little bi-"

"Joker," Shepard Shouted cutting Nassana off, "get me the C-Sec executor."

Nassana froze with a look of pure horror. "Let's not be hasty Shepard, she was a pirate, and a slaver. You killed a violent criminal." She relaxed slightly as Shepard seemed to cool slightly. "I have contacts within the Armali Council, I can have you added their preferred buyers list."

Shepard sterned her gaze, "I'm keeping a copy of some information I found on your sister's body. If I ever see you again..."

"I... I understand." Nassana squeaked, her composure having completely left her.

"Joker, lose this channel." Shepard sighed as she turned back to Liara, "Now, you barged in here apologizing for something. What exactly did you think you had to apologize for." Shepard asked, her grin clearly visible as Liara returned to a brighter shade of blue.

"Well... I woke up in your quarters, and there was that empty bottle on the table..."

"We emptied that, no wonder my head was spinning this morning..." Shepard groaned.

Liara couldn't help but smile at the slightly pained look on Shepard's face, "And then I see you storming out of the elevator, screaming about an asari. I guess I assumed I'd done something wrong... Where did you sleep last night anyway?"

"I ended up in a sleeper pod, always prefer a bed though," Shepard gave Liara a cheeky grin before sighing sarcastically, "Shame someone stole it."

Liara returned Shepard's cheeky smile, before turning and walking out the Comm room, "I should meet Chief Williams, she's giving me a shooting lesson this afternoon."

* * *

Shepard walked off the elevator into the cargo bay as she sealed the last clasp on her chestplate. She walked over to the Mako, sat to the side, an leaned against one of the rear tires. Ash and Liara appeared to be in the middle of Liara's shooting lesson, seemingly unaware of unaware of anyone else around. She watched as Liara fired several shots off towards a target set up towards the cargo doors, surprised as each shot landed on the marked torso, smiling as she heard Ash praise Liara while offering constructive feedback. Apparently her talk had sunk in about working with aliens.

Shepard stepped up to the two as Liara lowered the pistol, "Suit up you two, we've got a lead on those missing marines."

"Sounds good Shepard, I'll be ready in five." Ash responded.

Liara looked at Shepard slightly puzzled, "Suit up, into what? I don't have a hard suit." she asked.

Shepard tapped the interface on a locker next to her, Liara's name visible just above the door, showing a white and blue plated suit for the biotic. "Had some time to sort that one out while we waited for the Mako. Ask anyone if you need a hand with it." Shepard said, before walked off into the Mako.

* * *

Shepard's landing proved to be her best yet, although she had a feeling the team would never stop joking about her driving. As they had entered orbit of the planet, joker had picked up a distress beacon in a valley between two planets. Suspecting this was related to the missing marines, they had set down at the top of the valley, unwilling to risk landing in the middle of an ambush on the beacon, since a squad of marines had already gone missing.

Half way down the slope, the Grizzly used by the Marines became visible next to a transmitter they could only assume was the source of the signal. Shepard brought the Mako to a stop facing the wreck in front of them, the side of the vehicle torn open and melted in parts.

"I guess the odds of any of the marines being alive after an attack like that must be incredibly slim." Liara said, stepping up from the passenger seats to stand between Shepard and Ashley.

Ash looked over at the other two, "What could have done that, it doesn't look even close to weapons fire?"

Liara gulped as she realized the cause of the destruction. "It must have been a thresher maw. They're native to Tuchanka, but rapidly spread to other suitable planets once ships started landing there. They can actually" Liara paused as the Mako lifted several meters into the air before falling back to the ground.

Shepard hit several controls and slammed a foot down on a pedal at her feet, shooting the Mako backwards away from the wreck. When she felt she had put sufficient distance between them and the wreck she turned the vehicle about, or tried to, as a single large claw pierced through the roof, ripping through the seat Liara had previously occupied and the side of the vehicle as the thresher retreated below ground.

Ash looked back at her controls as Shepard started driving them back towards the slope they had some down, bringing the turret to life, just before the thresher burst from the ground in front of them. Shepard managed to swerve around the body and claws as the machine gun on the roof began shooting into the plated body of the creature.

Liara sighed as she saw the thresher dive back into the ground, staring through the gap it had left in the side of the Mako as Shepard drove off. She looked up at Shepard from between her and Ash's chairs, "Guess that answers that, tell me we're going back to the ship."

Shepard gave her a sympathetic look, but Liara could see something in it comparable to glee, "Sorry, but we need to get that transmitter offline at the very least. Otherwise another ship could land right on top of that thresher maw, just like those marines."

Liara moved back tot he only remaining passenger seat to strap herself in, before projecting a barrier to seal the tear and offer them all some protection. As they approached the wreck again, the maw forced its way to the surface in front of them before spitting acid towards the Mako, presumably what had managed to melt through the hull of the other rover. Shepard waited until the last second to fire the Mako's landing thrusters, launching them over the cloud of acid as it impacted the ground causing Liara to yelp as she was thrown against her harness. Ash adjusted the cannon as the Mako rose, firing the Mako's mass driver at the gaping jaw before them, plasma forming around the shot as it ripped through the soft, exposed flesh within the animals mouth.

Shepard once again pulled them to a stop by the Grizzly before climbing out of her seat and towards the door. "Not a bad shot Ash, but I think Garrus still has you beat."

"That's hardly fair Commander, I was in shock when he did that. I'd bet it was a fluke anyway!" Ash replied defensively, she was not going to be out shot by an alien, ally or not.

Liara pushed the harness of from over her shoulders and looked at the two marines, "Is it really that important, or should we be be checking for any sign of the marines" she sighed.

The three stepped out of the vehicle onto the soft sand of the planets surface. The vehicle appeared to be surrounded by small two metre long mounds that were quickly discovered to be bodies buried by the planet's winds blowing the sand around. They group quickly took all the dog tags they could find from in and around the ruined grizzly, before returning to the Mako and calling for Joker to pick them up.

* * *

"What did you do?!" Tali shouted, staring at the wrecked shell of a vehicle in front of her. "You've had it for one day, and... and..."

Garrus pushed himself off from one of the rear wheels of the Mako, not taking his eyes off Shepard, "Just had to prove you didn't need a volcano didn't you."

Shepard couldn't help but smile at the two tech experts, she knew they were both more than capable of patching it up, and she wasn't about to start begrudging her team a little banter. "I swear, it's entirely the maw's fault."

Tali burst out laughing, bending over to lean on the twisted hull of the Mako as Garrus managed to maintain enough of a straight face to answer, "You drove right into it's nest, how is that it's fault. They're territorial." At least it looked like a straight face to Shepard. "Maybe we should give someone else a chance to drive, say the... turian marksman that can spot a cliff, or hill, or the giant thresher maw about to try to eat him."

"Okay Space Chicken, laugh it up. Now if you don't mind, I need to go report on our mission." Shepard sighed, the amusement slipping out of her expression.

Garrus froze, realizing what the implications of the maw that had been at the beacon really meant, watching as Shepard left the cargo bay before he turned to Tali, still stifling her laughter, despite the depressing turn the conversation had taken. "Think we can get this thing patched up?"

Tali managed to hold herself in check long enough to respond "Should be able to with a few day's work. Adams doesn't need me for anything for a while, so I guess I'm all yours Garrus." She smiled at the turian, not worrying about him being able to see her expression as he turned back to the Mako.

"We better get to work then." Garrus sighed.

Shepard stepped off the lift, finding herself facing a conversation between Ashley and Liara.

"But why leave an identical tag to what you take on the body?"

"The body remains ID'd, while you still have proof they were killed in action."

Liara sighed, glancing over to Shepard that had just stepped threw the door before looking at the floor in front of her. "Well, at least I know what to do should anything happen..."

Shepard stepped up beside the young asari, placing an arm around her shoulders to pull her gently into a hug, while she pulled her own dog tags out from under her jacket. "We're all in this fight to the end, to stop Saren. I assure you, we'll all be there on the day we stop him, and everyone will be walking away from it. Do I make myself clear Doctor?" Shepard said gently to Liara. The down side to the two non military personnel on board the Normandy, Liara and Tali were both competent in a fight, but they lacked the emotional training soldiers had.

Shepard looked back to Ash next to them. "Right, Need to report to Admiral Kahoku, Ash, you're with me." Shepard stated, walking off towards the stairs to the CIC and the comm room, leaving Liara to wonder back to the medbay.

Shepard and Ash stepped into the comm room towards the console, running through commands until an image of Admiral Kahoku appeared in front of them both, "Ah, Shepard, I assume you have news about my marines?"

"I'm afraid so Admiral, they were all killed." Shepard sighed, she always hated delivering this kind of news. "It seems they landed on top of a thresher maw's nest."

"That's... They wouldn't just stumble into a maw unprepared. They were my best squad."

"They were lured there Sir," Ash offered, "We found an alliance distress beacon right where they had landed. The maw nearly tore our Mako apart when we were investigating it." She held the handful of dog tags up she had been discussing with Liara, "At least they can be declared dead rather than missing, Sir."

"Thank you, Chief, Commander. If you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls and find out why my investigation got stonewalled on this, and how that beacon ended up on that planet."

"Good luck, Admiral" Shepard saluted before cutting the line.

"Commander," Joker's voice came over the ship's comm, "We received an audio only message from Ambassador Udina while you were planet side. Afraid his encryption wouldn't let me forward the file to you, I think he's worried about the contents hitting the news."

"Play us the file joker."

Udina's voice filled the room, "Shepard, I have news. One of out colonies in the traverse has gone silent. It's Feros in the Attican Beta cluster, we had reports of geth sightings in the cluster the last few days. It might be nothing, but if it's not, it's the only lead we have on Saren for the moment."

Somehow, even a recording of Udina managed to sound like he was trying to patronize her. Sure, she'd never put the geth sightings and silent colony together. "Joker, get us to Feros, and give me an ETA."

"On route Commander. ETA, sixteen hours, guess we'll be getting there for breakfast, wonder if their eggs are any better than ours?"

* * *

Garrus pushed himself out from under the Mako, looking up at Tali as she handed him a spanner. "You'd think Shepard could at least let us know before she uses the Mako as chew toy for thresher maws."

"It's not like they come with a great big sign saying 'thresher maw here'_._" Tali laughed. "So how do you find working with Shepard?"

"Chasing a rogue spectre, a huge geth army to fight and no red tape. Certainly beats C-Sec," Garrus smiled, "Even I do end up patching the Mako after Shepard's excursions. Just glad I was right about what working with a spectre could be like."

Tali looked at him curiously. "Have you worked with one before?"

"No, but I've seen what they're like. Spectres often operate on the citadel as well as in citadel space, It's not uncommon for a C-Sec investigation to cross paths with theirs. The difference is, they always get what they're trying to do, done." Garrus sighed, "No rules to get in the way."

Tali scowled at him through her helmet, "Not going to be going all trigger happy on Shepard, are you Vakarian?"

"Well, it's safe to say the only other dextro on board doesn't need to worry. Anything happens to you, there's no telling how bad the food could get."

"Gee, doesn't that make me feel important. Hate to think what's keeping the rest of the galaxy alive." she sulked.

"Hopefully the desire to do things the right way." Shepard said, scowling at Garrus as she stepped off the elevator. "Since those rules are there for a reason, how about we stick to a few of them."

Garrus pushed himself up against the Mako, "As long as we catch Saren, what does it matter how we do it."

"And what, leave a trail of bodies the length of the citadel? How about the population of a colony in the traverse."

"What! I... er... that's not what I meant Commander." Garrus stuttered.

"It better not be, else the next time that airlock opens, you're not getting back in it." Shepard walked over to the them, looking down at Garrus leaning on the Mako. "So when do I get this bucket of bolts back in working order?"

"Er, about three days. Don't expect miracles, but we'll try to get it going as soon as we can."

"Right, Garrus, this is your only priority for the next few days. Tali?" The quarian looked round at Shepard in surprise. "We're heading to a colony that's under attack by the geth, I want you on the ground team, you've got the most technical expertise on them out of everyone on board the ship."

"Absolutely Commander. When do we land?"

"Tomorrow morning, make sure you're ready to go by nine at the latest." Shepard smiled trying to reassure Tali as she began rubbing her gloved hands with nerves. "You'll do fine, and we've got enough fire power to keep you covered."

"I'll be ready, I just need to go do some software patches." Tali chirped as she bounced off towards engineering.

* * *

Liara sat down opposite Kaidan with a plate of something humans called pasta, although she could swear it was almost identical to a staple in asari cuisine, usually accompanied by large amounts of fruit rather than what appeared to be meat. As she looked up from her plate she found Kaidan staring at her, "Is everything okay?"

"What? Ye, fine." Kaidan said as he want back to looking at his almost empty plate, before back to Liara. "What's it like for asari learning to use biotics? It's such a new thing for humanity, there's stigma and misconception everywhere. We didn't even have any human biotics to train us back when I went through the training program."

Liara appeared shocked, "For asari? We all have biotic potential to varying degrees. I guess since we all grow up with them, getting taught to use them, it becomes as normal as being able to read and write. If you don't mind me asking, what did humanity do about training the first group?" Kaidan slowly turned white as Liara spoke, "You don't have to-"

"No, it's fine." Kaidan interrupted, "They pulled in some turian mercenaries for instructors, and dumped all of us on Jump Zero, as far away from a significant population as they could. With the distance, it's safe to say there was a considerable lack of oversight. Things got a little... off the rails."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back unpleasant memories, I was just curious how humanity had adapted. Given the abundance of eezo on Thessia, I guess I just find it hard to imagine not having biotics."

The two sat in silence as they ate until curiosity got the better of Kaidan, "So... Ash saw you leaving the Commander's quarters this morning."

Liara looked down, rapidly becoming a brighter shade of blue for what must be the fifth time that day. "We were up late talking, I guess I just fell asleep. I woke up in there this morning with a headache."

"Sorry, I just though that after you burst into the Comm room when we got back, you two might be..." Kaidan sighed before shaking his head at himself, "Sorry, I guess my curiosity got the better of me."

"Something we are both guilty of then." Liara replied, trying to smile sweetly, "If you'll excuse me, I told the Commander I would find some information for her on Feros, since it's a major Prothean site."

Liara got up and left the table with her meal, leaving Kaidan to hide his face in his hands, "Great job, really well done." He looked over as someone sat down beside him, giving him a firm pat on the back. "Don't tell me you heard that?"

Ash smiled at him, "Sure thing Lieutenant." She just sat there starting to shovel down her meal, "So how is it going then, hitting on the CO's girlfriend?"

"They aren't a couple, and I hardly think talking about brain camp qualifies as hitting on her." Kaidan replied defensively.

"You didn't spend the afternoon in a Mako with them, being attacked by a thresher maw. I swear, the asari never took her eyes off her." Ash laughed, "So, apart from staring at her like she's a stripper, what's your interest in her."

"How long were you standing there?" Kaidan asked startled, "And what's not to like?"

"Long enough, didn't want to put you off your game." Ash smiled at him.

They both paused as they heard the door to the elevator open and someone walk out. They went back to quickly eating their meal as Shepard walked around the corner, "You two are very quiet." she stated as she collected a meal and sat down opposite the two of them. "Not interrupting anything am I?" Shepard asked, smiling at the uncomfortable looks on their faces.

"No, of course not Commander." Ash quickly answered as she finished eating. "I should get back to work, I'm still on duty."

Kaidan looked down at the remainder of his meal, "Ye, I should be getting back as well."

Shepard looked around as the two marines quickly upped and left, before shrugging and starting on her meal while looking over a report to settle into a dull evening.


	8. Metal and Cellulose

A/N1: Small amendment made to the previous chapter for those that read it on the first day. Nassana's insult at Liara has been edited to remove the pure blood comment at the advice of Therum.

A/N2: Name amended to "Hazardous Situations" to accommodate plans for games two and three.

A/N3: I would also like to say thank you to Therum for reading so thoroughly, and your continued advice.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Metal and Cellulose**

"They''ve got a single ship on the ground, but it's seems to have landed on the side of part of the colony." Joker said, guiding the Normandy down towards the colony's port. "The Normandy should be safe at the port, well away from their landing site. You'll need to find your own transport down there though, it's a few miles to that ship."

"Got it Joker." Shepard replied looking back at the squad behind her. She had gathered everyone, apart from Garrus who was working on the Mako, and Liara, since Shepard didn't want to bring her into the middle of an invasion without good reason. The ship pulled into the automated dock without hearing any radio chatter, suggesting the colony's communications being jammed, which would explain the lack of news from the colony.

As the ship's airlock opened, the team filed out, quickly securing the dock as a man walked up towards them. "We saw your ship coming in to land, Fai Dan wants to speak with you."

"We're here to find out what the geth are after, and hopefully save the colony. Why does Fai Dan want to see us, who's in charge of the colony's marines?" Shepard asked, scanning the area around the port.

"Fai Dan leads us, he's seeing to the defence of the colony. You need to speak to him." the man said, growing nervous.

"**Shepard!**" a voice shouted from the direction of the ship's airlock. "You are not leaving me on board the Normandy, while you go off into the biggest known prothean ruin!"

The team looked back, seeing Liara walk out of the airlock, struggling with her right armoured glove. Shepard stepped up in front of her with her arms crossed, giving Liara a stern authoritative look. "This is an invasion, not a dig site. You're staying on the ship."

"Surely that's my choice, I can make my own decisions Shepard."

"You might be capable in a fire fight, but you are still a civilian, I won't subject you to that." Shepard sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"I won't be left on the ship while the team puts themselves in danger. This planet was a major prothean colony, whatever Saren wants on this planet has to do with their extinction. You need me!" Liara argued.

Shepard shook her head in defeat, "Okay, you can come, but stay right behind me unless I say otherwise." Liara nodded in response. Shepard turned back towards the man who had approached the group muttering "I'm going to regret this."

A loud bang came from the distance, followed by Ash shouting "**Get down!**" A rocket soared towards the group as Shepard pulled Liara behind a pile of containers against the side of the walk walkway. The projectile landing at the feet of the colonist, detonating on impact, distributing charred remains across the dock.

The team quickly dispatched a small geth scout group that had managed to sneak up on them, leaving their only option to head towards the colony.

* * *

Fai Dan had been able fill in far more of the unknowns than the man at the dock, although he was the only person in the colony that did answer any questions, everyone else simply saying they should speak to Fai Dan. Unfortunately, he had no idea what the geth were after, but he was able to point them towards the Exogeni headquarters where the geth dropship was located, after they had destroyed a geth transmitter being used to launch attacks on the colony. With the colony secured for the time being, the group headed into a lift to take them to a garage with access to skyway running directly to the Exogeni headquarters.

Liara looked around the group as the doors sealed them in the car. "I know I'm not the most experienced in the group with humans, but did their behavior seem... off... to anyone else as well?"

"Something was defiantly wrong, they didn't seem inclined to talk about it." Kaidan stated.

Shepard looked over at them both. "We still have no idea why the geth are here, but I suspect their behaviour is somehow related. Doesn't seem like they're simply in shock or a normal reaction to stress."

The elevator doors opened into the garage, with the Exogeni tower visible several miles into the distance. "So how are we getting there since Shepard wrecked out wheels?" Wrex asked, laughing to himself as he finished.

"Not a fan of walking I take it Wrex?" Shepard asked as she leant against a Grizzly sitting behind them, patting the tire. "I think we can find something to drive. There should even be a few extra seats."

Apart from the geth squads they encountered along the skyway, which were easily dispatched with the Grizzly's heavier guns, even geth armatures seemed unable to take much fire from the main cannon. They were however surprised to hear a transmission as they entered a way point on the skyway. _"We have movement, It's one of the rovers from Zhu's Hope. I thought they were all dead?"_ Shepard stopped the vehicle at this, indicating for the team to file out of the vehicle.

As they took up positions around the rover, Tali spotted something by a ramp to a lower level. "Shepard, there's a camera over there, a cable runs to the level below. I think there are survivors down there." she shouted in surprise.

Shepard carefully lead the team down, rounding a corner to find herself standing just inside a large open space with a marine pointing their assault rifle at her head before they sighed, "Thank god, you're human." before tensing slightly as the rest of the team followed, including a large krogan.

Shepard gently pushed the barrel of the rifle aimed at her head towards the ground. "We're here to help, relax marine." she stated firmly before she walked past the barricade the marine were using for cover.

Shepard walked towards two members of the colony rapidly discussing something between each other until one of them turned to face Shepard. "That's close enough!"

"Relax Jeong, they're obviously not geth." the woman he had been talking to scolded.

"Juliana, I'll handle this." the man stated before turning back to Shepard, clutching a pistol in one hand. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Shepard just stared at him, crossing her arms, "I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance. We heard you have a geth problem."

"You see," Juliana said, "They're here to help. You shouldn't worry so much."

"And you trust too easily. Just because they're human, doesn't mean they're here to help us."

"I'm just glad to see a friendly face, I thought we were the only humans left on this planet."

"No, some of the members of Zhu's Hope are still alive." Shepard offered. "We had to help them fend off a geth attack, and secure their position, but they should be able to hold out."

Juliana rounded on Jeong. "You told us they were all dead!"

"Probably, I said probably." He replied cowering back slightly under her gaze.

Ash stepped up beside Shepard, "They're not dead, but they were hit pretty hard by the geth."

"Look, we need to get to the Exogeni headquarters, we were told that's where they dug in. How much further is it along the skyway?" Shepard asked.

"Not far, there's a ramp up to the next stretch, which leads directly to a garage at the base of the occupied part of the structure, although the geth have probably tried to seal it by now." Juliana answered, before Jeong had chance to respond.

"That building is private property, soldier. Remove the geth and nothing else. The company will be taking inventory after this is over."

"I'm here for the geth, not your company secrets. Still, if you know why the geth are here, you'd be doing yourself a huge favour by just telling me." Shepard stated, before turning towards the way out.

"Commander, before you go, my daughter, Lizbeth, she's missing... She was in the headquarters when the geth attacked, no one's seen her since." Juliana pleaded.

"They shouldn't waste time poking around." Jeong interrupted, "We can do a propper accounting of our casualties after the geth have been removed."

"That's my daughter you-"

"I'll see if I can find her for you Juliana." Shepard gently interupted before turning again to leave. "Kaidan, Ash, stay here and keep everyone safe. Their soldiers look tired."

"Aye-Aye skipper." the two said in unison as Shepard started back towards the Grizzly.

"Excuse me, Commander!" one of the Exogeni workers said from a terminal off to the side.

Shepard walked over towards the man, "Can we help you with something?"

"I'm Gavin Hossle, I'm a freelancer. Exogeni hired me to help with the colony plans. Unfortunately, when the geth attacked, I had to leave all my data on the network. If I can't get it back, I'm ruined."

"Seems simple enough." Shepard commented, "what's the catch?"

"Well, the only way to retrieve it, since the system went into lock down, is from my console in the building. It's not really a catch, it's just not going to be easy, looks like you're all set for that though" Gavin laughed, eying the heavy weapons pack on each of their backs.

"Why do people seem to assume we enjoy putting ourselves into hazardous situation? I'm an archaeologist." Liara asked sarcastically.

"There's a shotgun on your back." Shepard laughed back at her. "We'll see what we can do about your data."

"Great, just transfer the data to this OSD" he said, handing them an OSD before they left back towards the skyway.

* * *

The Grizzly pulled to a halt outside of the garage of the headquarters, with a pile of rubble that had been the ceiling, sitting in the entrance. The four of them weaved a path between several beams blocking the rover's route. After quickly shooting their way through a geth squad, guarding the door into the garage they entered from, they found themselves facing a powerful looking barrier.

Tali activated her omni-tool to quickly scan the barrier. "It's being powered by the geth ship, there's no way we'll be able to force our way through it."

"Can't you hack it, Tali?" Shepard asked, looking slightly confused.

Tali's helmet just turned to face Shepard. "It's an energy field, not a door, there's no lock. There's nothing to hack, even if it would help."

Shepard looked down a ledge beside her, "Only one option then."

"We're not getting back up again." Wrex grunted from behind her as he peered down, before leaping into the hole and landing with a thud.

Shepard slid down to join Wrex, followed by Liara and Tali, before starting off along the tunnel, away from the barrier that had blocked their path. Wrex was the first to walk out into a large open chamber, a single small round flaring his barriers, making him rear round in a small woman. She screamed, dropping the pistol, and backing up against the wall behind her.

Shepard stepped up next to Wrex, putting a hand on his arm to hold him back, "Easy Wrex, she's probably in shock." She walked over to the woman who had curled up at the foot of the wall. "It's Okay, we're here to help. Are you Lizabeth?"

The woman looked up at the sound of her name. "Y-yes... I'm... sorry I shot at you."

Lizabeth jumped as Wrex let out a grunt and shrugged. "No harm done. piddly little thing."

"Erm, how do you know my name, why are you looking for me?" She asked, looking rather nervous.

"Your mother, Juliana, asked us to look for you. She said you went missing after the attack, why are you still here?" Shepard asked, offering a hang to her.

Lizabeth took the hand, letting herself be lifted to her feet. "When the attack started, everyone started running, but... I stayed behind to back up data. Then the building shook as that ship latched on, and the power went out. I tried to get out, but they had all the exits blocked, so... I just hid."

"The geth blocked you off, why didn't they spot you?"

"No, it wasn't the geth, they have barriers all over the building to stop anyone getting into the garage. I think they want to stop anyone from getting to the... erm..." Lizabeth paused, looking at her feet.

"Lizabeth, we're here for the geth. We need to know what they're after if we're going to stop them from getting it." Shepard gently prompted.

"I-I'm not sure, but I think they're after the Thorian."

The group all looked around at each other with a puzzled expression, until Liara looked back to the woman before them. "What's a thorian?"

"It's a life-form indigenous to Feros. Exogeni was studying it." Lizbeth replied, "Can we please get out of here."

"Okay, you stay here. We'll get you out safe." Shepard promised.

"Here, take my ID. It'll get you into most of the facility." Lizbeth offered, holding out an ID badge.

"Thanks." She replied before she turned back to the team. "We need to get to that ship and cut the power somehow. Preferably destroy that ship too. Move out!"

The building proved remarkably quiet as they worked their way in the direction of the geth ship, and the source of the energy barriers. Several locked doors that had been blocking their way had opened when Shepard swiped the ID over the HI, showing another empty room or corridor. Finally, as one door opened, a krogan came into view.

"what I want or I'll blow your **virtual ass** into **actual dust!**" The Krogan shouted at the VI he was talking to.

"I'm sorry, but you are not cleared for level four security. Please contact your supervisor for an exception to be made, or make an appointment with-" The VI attempted to inform the krogan before being cut off.

"**Stupid machine!**"

"If there is nothing else I can do for you, please step aside. A queue is forming behind you for the use of this console."

The krogan looked behind him, "Oh good. I really want to kill something!"

Shepard looked back at the three behind her, "Ah crap!"

Shepard dropped her assault rifle, pulling her shotgun off her back as she turned back to face the krogan. A warp field flew past her into the krogan's barrier, causing a small explosion. The krogan was knocked back by the force slightly, as Wrex charged into the other krogan head first, a shot the other krogan had managed to fire from his shotgun, flaring Wrex's barrier. Shepard looked away as a crunch, followed by several blasts of a shotgun rang through the room, followed by the sound of a large body collapsing to the ground. Shepard scooped up her assault rifle, and walked up to the VI that the krogan had shouted at.

"Exogeni Corporation reminds employees that the discharge of weapons on company property is strictly prohibited." The VI calmly offered, seemingly unaware of the implication of the events that had occurred, before it continued. "Welcome back Research Assistant Elizabeth Baynham. How may I help you today?"

"Must be the ID badge." Tali muttered as the group stepped up around Shepard.

"What was the previous user attempting to access?" Shepard asked, looking down at the corpse on the floor, missing the majority of its head.

"The previous user was attempting to access all information gathered on Species Thirty Seven, also known as the Thorian." The VI state neutrally. "I was however unable to provide any, as they lacked sufficient security clearance. There has also been no recent data entered on the Thorian, as all monitoring equipment at the research outpost of 'Zhu's Hope' has been offline for several days."

Shepard looked rather alarmed, "Zhu's Hope, what do they have to do with the Thorian? Just tell me everything you can about it!"

The VI flickered for a second as it loaded the relevant information. "Species Thirty-Seven, is a simple plant life form, that appears to exhibit sentient behaviour, and self-awareness, unheard of in any other species of Flora. It also appears to be capable of assuming some measure on control on forms of animal life, through the use of spore particles dispersed into the atmosphere, to be inhaled by its targets. Zhu's Hope is being used as a test group, to observe its effectiveness at controlling humans. Prior to the loss of all sensor input, scans showed that over eighty-five percent of the population were effected."

Shepard looked at the VI stunned, "You're telling me, that Exogeni was intentionally exposing its people to a form of alien mind control, just to see what the effects would be?"

"It was deemed necessary in order to assess the potential of Species Thirty-Seven." the VI stated coldly.

Liara looked at Shepard, slight worried, "I guess that explains the strange behaviour of the colonists."

"Okay, we need to take care of that geth ship, and get back to the port." Shepard exclaimed, as she walked off towards a flight of stairs to the side of the room. She tapped her helmet to open a comm link to the Normandy, only being met with static. "Joker!? Joker!?" She shouted into her helmet, only getting static in response. "Just great."

The building continued to prove empty until they filed into a room that had been torn apart. A large metal claw had forced through the exterior wall, and hooked down through the floor. Shepard pulled her shotgun from her back before pointing down, and holding two fingers up to the group. Wrex stepped up beside her, just before they both dropped down, landing behind a pair of geth. Shepard paused for a second when the geth didn't move, remaining in a position she would have called kneeling. The sound of Wrex's shotgun firing, pulled her out of her curiosity, and quickly fired at the geth, leaving it laying across the floor.

Tali and Liara dropped down next to Shepard and Wrex, with a large metal cage in front of them, contain a light source that didn't quite seem to be there. "Tali, is it possible the get are religious? They looked like they were praying to this thing." Shepard asked, looking at the metal object in front of her.

"It's possible, the memory core did say they saw the reapers as gods. I would guess if they were then this item is a reaper artefact." Tali pondered.

"We'll have to worry about it later, is there any way we can dislodge this claw, and the ship?" Shepard stared up at the metal claw protruding into building, and presumably the cause of the hole in the ceiling.

Tali quickly scanned the building around the claw, "We don't have anything capable of destroying one of these claws, but it's possible we might find another that we could dislodge."

"Okay, lets get moving." Shepard sighed, leading the group towards a doorway.

As they walked down a corridor, Liara paused at a name plate on an office that read 'Gavin Hossle'. "Shepard, isn't this the office of that freelancer?"

Shepard glanced back at the door, "Looks like it, is the door unlocked?"

Liara tapped the door's interface, making it slide half-open, offering just enough room for everyone but Wrex to get in. The room proved to be barely present. One of the claws had torn through the far wall, shredding the partition between it and the next office. Tali stepped over to a remaining intact terminal to start downloading data , while Shepard carefully looked over the remains of the wall supporting the claw.

Tali looked back from the console as the last download started, looking at Shepard's work with the wall. She'd managed to cluster the grenades over cracks that were forming along the wall supporting the claw. "Okay, we may want to get out of here." Shepard jested, moving towards the door.

As they moved into the corridor Shepard sealed the door behind them and began running towards the garage and Lizabeth before she hit the detonator. The sound rumbled through the building as the geth ship jerked under the loss of support. As the ship began to fall, each claw tore free of the building, shaking the floor beneath them each time. As they rounded a corner the garage became visible, the energy barrier clearly powered down. As they passed through the doorway, the entire building shook around them, just before a loud scream of metal tearing as the geth ship crashed into the planet's surface below them.

The four of them just stared at each other until a voice came over the comm. "_Commander! Come in! God, I hate Zombies!"_

Shepard tapped her helmet to respond, "Joker, is that you?"

"_Good to hear your voice Commander, the colonists have gone mad, they're banging on the airlock. And those Zombie things, they almost look like husks!"_

"Don't shoot them Joker, they're not in control of themselves. Repeat, **Do not shoot.**" Shepard ordered as she saw Lizabeth walk through the doorway that had come through.

"_Shepard, I'm seeing huge numbers of geth closing on your location. You need to get out of there now Commander." _Joker shouted frantically.

Shepard pulled her assault rifle out as she ordered the team to run to the Grizzly. As geth began pouring out of newly opened doorways, she fired as many shots off as she could until Lizbeth closed on her. She grabbed Lizbeth by the arm, dragging her to the Grizzly, forcing them both inside as Wrex managed to bring the vehicles turret to life, tearing through the geth approaching them.

Shepard settled herself into the driver's seat before the vehicle lurched forwards, rapidly accelerating as Shepard turned back in her seat to give Lizbeth a rather menacing stare. "You know more about the Thorian than you let on Ms Baynham. Care to tell us why you neglected to inform us?"

"I was afraid." the girl sobbed, "You know what that thing can do to people, I didn't want it to be me next. When the geth attacked, I tried to send a message to Colonial Affairs, the Alliance, the Citadel, anyone, but... the geth cut the power. I wanted to tell everyone what was happening."

Shepard let out a small laugh as she ploughed the Grizzly through a geth armature that Wrex had missed with the main cannon, "Okay, so where exactly is the Thorian?"

"It's directly below the colony, inside the structure we use for the port. They colonists has it blocked off though, They moved a prefab to sit on top of the stairway."

Static came over the radio as the rover entered the structure leading to the lower level of the skyway, the geth all behind them in ruin. 'Is there anyone there, can anyone hear me?' Juliana's voice barely made it through the background noise.

'Get away from that radio!' Jeong shouted from somewhere further away from the microphone.

Everyone sat in the rear of the vehicle just looked at each other in confusion as the rover drove down the ramp towards the survivors gathered there, before another message came through. 'This is Juliana Baynham, please, can someone help us?'

"Stop!" Lizbeth screamed "That was my mother. Where are they?"

Shepard pulled the rover to a stop as the door was flung open. They began cautiously moving down towards the survivors, stopping as Shepard came to the last corner. She quickly scanned the colony, spotting Juliana in an argument with Jeong, who was holding his pistol and waving it around, and Kaidan and Ash, knelt down at gunpoint.

"You can't do this Jeong!"

"Shut up! Let me think!" Jeong shouted. He waved his pistol towards Juliana as a marine approached, "Get her out of here."

Lizabeth screamed as the marine grabbed her mother, sprinting past Shepard, forcing her to reach out from behind the wall to try to grab Lizaberth's arm, only finding Jeong looking directly at her.

"Come out here, all of you!" He shouted, waving the pistol about towards Lizabeth who was standing in the open. Shepard simply followed with her hands up by her head. "Shepard! Damn it, somehow I knew it was too much to hope the geth would kill you, or that you'd get caught by that ship collapsing. Exogeni has some interesting facts about you the database, Elysium was certainly impressive, but this doesn't have to end like that."

"You'd better start talking if you want to get through this alive," Shepard said calmly, raising her voice slightly as she said "and take your guns off my people."

"You don't understand, we've received orders from Gexogeni after the communications came back online. Exogeni wants this place purged."

"This is a human colony Jeong, we have rights. You can't just re-purpose us." Lizabeth argued.

"This isn't about you, there's something far more valuable that a few dozen surviving colonists.

Shepard just glared at him crossing her arms, "You're after the Thorian, the whole reason Exogeni put so much effort into this colony."

"The what?" Juliana asked as she wrenched an arm free from the marine.

Lizabeth glanced at her mother before she looked down at the ground ashamed. "It's a telepathic life form that lives under Zhu's Hope. It's taken control of the colonists there. Exogeni knew all along."

Jeong rounded on Shepard, pointing his pistol at Shepard's chest. "I can't let you interfere with Exogeni's plans."

Shepard just shook her head as she crosser her arms, "I'm going to just let you kill these people Jeong, you must know that."

"I'm just following orders Shepard, just like you." Jeong turned in what seemed like slow motion, moving his aim towards Liara standing at Shepard shoulder.

Shepard quickly pulled her pistol off her waist, putting a single shot into Jeong's skull, causing him to fall to the ground. "Don't point a gun at my team!" Shepard rounded on the two marines pointing their guns at Ash and Kaidan, along with Tali and Wrex, while Liara flared her biotics. The two quickly dropped their rifles, holding their hands up to show they wouldn't shoot.

"As if the geth weren't enough, now we're shooting each other." Julia commented.

"This is all my fault, I knew all about this, and I didn't do anything about it." Lizabeth sobbed.

"I'm sure you did everything you could to stop them, you've always done the best you can." Juliana offered to support her daughter. "So what now Commander?"

"We need to go do something about the Thorian, then make sure everyone back here is okay."

Lizbeth looked at them alarmed, "The colonists, they'll never let you get near the Thorian, it'll sacrifice them long before you get anywhere near it."

Shepard looked back towards the group of marines, "Are you all issued with flash-bangs?"

"Ye, we may have one or two each, but with them being under the control of another life form, There's no way to know what effect they'll have."

"They'll do, let's go." Shepard looked around the camp, spotting Gavin at his terminal by the same terminal, she OSD next to it, before taking the grenades from the soldiers, totaling six, and lead the five following her back to the Grizzly.

* * *

The skyway proved to be empty until they reached the garage they had found the Grizzly in. As they approached the doors, they remained firmly shut, forcing the group to file out of the vehicle and proceed on foot. A green body was curled up at the base of the door, completely inanimate. Shepard stepped up towards the body, pulling her shotgun off her back as a precaution. "You think these are the zombies Joker mentioned?"

Wrex stepped up next to her and looked down at the body, before firing his shotgun, splattering some sort of plant material over the floor. "They die, I don't see a problem."

Shepard looked over the remains, as Ash stepped up on her other side, "No way that thing was one of the colonists, Skipper. The husks were transformed, but this is... It doesn't even look like meat."

"I think they're plants, probably something the Thorian produces to defend it's self." Tali offered, switching off her omni-tool.

Shepard turned to look Wrex in the eyes. "You do not shoot unless I order it, and do not shoot the colonists."

Wrex looked back at Shepard, "I'll shoot what I want." He paused as Shepard's expression turned to anger, "But I won't shoot the colonists."

"You better stick to that, Wrex." Shepard threatened, stepping towards the door control. "Everyone ready?"

As everyone confirmed they were all ready, Shepard pointed her assault rifle towards the door, hitting the HI. As the door slid open, the garage was full of more of the green... plants, each slowly standing up, staring at her with black, empty eyes. Every single one of the plants streaked in unison, their jaws stretching unnaturally wide, looking a lot like the husks, before they all charged towards the open door. Guns fired along the length of the party, causing bodies to explode in front of them, while Liara and Kaidan threw groups of them against the walls of the garage, causing them to reduce to smears, painting the walls green. As the air cleared, Shepard looked over to the elevator in time to see the doors open, managing to Drag Liara and Ash into cover, shouting at the others in the team t do the same, just before gunfire started hitting the ground they had been standing on.

Wrex leant out from around the side of the door, pulling his shotgun out as Shepard gave him another glare. "Don't you fucking dare."

Wrex looked over at her, clearly annoyed, "And what do you suggest, you can't get them with a grenade at this distance?"

Shepard pulled one off her belt, "Wanna bet, loser buys a round of drinks."

Wrex smiled smugly, "You're on Shepard."

Shepard stepped into the open, letting her shields take several hits as she threw the grenade towards the elevator. As she ducked back into cover, turning her back to the wall, she gestured for everyone to do the same before a high-pitched screech rang through the air, as the gunfire stopped.

She looked back tot he lift and Wrex, seeing the krogan hadn't even blinked. "I don't believe you made that throw."

Shepard just smiled as she ran over to the lift, finding the two colonists on the ground, unconscious. "Seems they're more seriously affected, probably got something to do with the Thorian's control. At least we know they work."

After a quick elevator ride, they had to fight their way through the colony. While the colonists were dispatched with the grenades, more of the enthralled plants were charging at the team as they advanced towards the prefab. As the last grenade rendered the last group of colonists unconscious, footsteps came from behind them.

As they turned Fai Dan was holding a pistol pointed towards them, his face screwed up in agony. "I tried to fight it, but it gets in your head. These people trusted me to lead them. It wants me to..." The gun snapped up to his head, as he screamed "**But I won't!**"

Shepard winced as a single shot fired from the pistol, and Fai Dan collapsed on the ground. "He was a good man, let's hope we can save the rest of the colonists."

Wrex grunted, "Just let me shoot something already."

Tali managed to remove the prefab, using the crane the colonists had used to move it originally, exposing a dark tunnel downwards into the building beneath them. The six descended in silence, relying on flash lights to see, snaking their way through the ruins of the building. They stepped onto what appeared to be a large balcony running around a central chamber, making the group sigh in frustration.

Ash looked at Shepard, "We don't even know how big this thing is."

Shepard looked out into the open space in front of them, using the light attached to her assault rifle, as the sound of something oozing caught her attention. The light flicked over a large green mass, tendrils hanging from the main body, while larger ones moved off to the unseen walls around them. "I think, we found it." Shepard mumbled, looking up at the monstrosity began to convulse.

Shepard stepped back as a fluid spilled from the an orifice, bringing what appeared to be the body of a green asari. She looked up at them as she rose to her feel, her eyes pitch black. "Invaders, your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to decompose, to rot. I speak for the old growth. You stand before the Thorian, it commands you be in awe!"

Shepard stepped towards the Asari, doing her best not to look down at the exposed flesh. "Saren came here for something, I need whatever it was."

"Saren sought knowledge of those that came before. The Old Growth listened to meat for the first time in the Galaxy's Cycle. It agreed to trade. Then metal began killing The Old Growth, forcing back growth for the next cycle. The Old Growth sees your air as lies. It will listen no more!"

"You can't keep your thralls, they have the fight to free will. Release them. Now!" Shepard demanded.

"The Thorian will listen to meat no more. Your lives are short, but they have gone on too long!" The asari spat as biotics flared.

Shepard quickly raised her assault rifle to fire, but the asari was thrown backwards into the deep pit below the Thorian. Shepard looked back at Liara who's biotics were still flared, "You guys really need to stop stealing my kills. Any ideas how we kill this thing anyway? "

Kaidan looked over the edge of the flooring, down towards where the asari had fallen, "Seems like a long enough drop, and this thing's directly over it."

"Right, Ash, you take Wrex and tali and work your way clockwise. The rest of you, with me."

They quickly managed to work their way around to the opposite side of the Thorian, although it was still hanging before them, although clearly in pain, fluids seeping down it's tendrils. Ash continued to the upper level, while Shepard led her group down a level. They continuing to shoot out the tendrils supporting the main body, while the Thorian's thralls continued to harass them.

Shepard looked around to see Liara being forced backwards towards the edge of the remaining floor. Shepard ran straight towards them the grow, firing her shotgun to force her way through. Liara slipped backwards, the floor giving way beneath her feet as the Thorian screamed, it's damaged tendrils tearing under its own weight. Liara fell as the Thorian did behind her below Shepard's line of sight towards the floor below. Shepard dove after her, falling past Liara, glowing with biotics, panicking at the large number of thralls covering the floor below her. Shepard landed on one leg with a loud crunch coming from below her, and fell onto an outstretched arm.

Liara landed carefully beside Shepard, letting her biotics die as she picked up Shepard's shotgun, before she threw a singularity into the middle of the thralls that were rising to their feet. Liara shot out the thralls that hadn't been lifted up off their feet, before throwing a warp into the middle of the cluster. The singularity detonated, throwing the thralls into every surface around her, and over the edge to follow the Thorian below.

Shepard looked up at Liara, a large smile spreading across her lips. "Okay, I get it, you can handle yourself. Could have left me at least one though." Shepard tried to climb back up to her feel, before screaming in pain as she put weight onto the leg she had landed on. "Little help?"

Liara just handed Shepard back her shotgun, smiling slightly as she did, before lifting the Commander in a biotic field. "We should find a way back up to the others."

The pair managed to find a staircase back up to the floor they had left Kaidan on. As they approached him he was pulling a knife out, looking at a sack on the wall, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Shepard asked as Liara eased her down onto one leg, putting herself one the arm Shepard hadn't landed on.

The three of them gasped as an arm forced its way through the membrane, ripping through the sack, before it gave out and dropped an asari onto the floor, thankfully, purple. The asari looked up at them all, struggling up to her feet, her features identical the one that had come from the Thorian. "I... Thank you all for freeing me."

"Shiala? Are you hurt?" Liara asked.

The asari blinked, trying to focus her eyes as she looked at them. "Liara? I believe that I am fine, or I will be. I though Saren sent a squad to have you captured to aid in his search."

"How did you end up here?" Liara asked.

"When Benezia allied herself with Saren, so did I. She saw the influence Saren had growing, and sought to guide him down a less violent path, but... she lot her own way. Saren is a... compelling individual." Shiala sighed.

"Wait," Shepard interrupted, "you're saying Saren can control minds?"

"We all underestimated Saren, we came to support his goals... his means. He can't control your every action, but something was certainly influencing my decisions and actions, something I find troubling." Shiala conceded.

"Asari matriarchs are among the most powerful beings in the galaxy, revered for their wisdom. How could he possibly managed to control one so completely?" Liara asked, looking like she was working herself up.

"Saren has a huge warship, larger than anything I've ever seen, he calls it Sovereign. I believe it is the source of his control. The process is subtle, but after days, weeks, you become indoctrinated to Saren's will. You... feel him in the back of your mind. He's not quite there, but it's enough for his control to be absolute." Shiala looked at the floor, ashamed, "I was a wiling slave when he brought me here to help communicate with the Thorian. It held secrets that he needed. He offered me in trade, securing an alliance between him and the Thorian."

"Rather fast to betray his own people, and his allies isn't he?" Shepard asked raising an eyebrow.

"He got what he wanted from the thorian, then it became nothing but a risk. He wanted to ensure that you couldn't obtain the cipher."

Shepard looked back over to the hole next to them, "Think we took care of that one ourselves. So what is the cipher?"

"The vision you both received from the beacon on Eden Prime was unclear. It was mean for a prothean mind, not that of any of the races currently in the galaxy. The cipher is the very essence of what it means to be prothean. The Thorian was here long before they colonized this planet, as they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it. I could give you the cipher, enable you to understand the vision."

"Okay, I guess if I'm going to catch Saren, I need this. Do you mind if we get this over with?" Shepard asked, removing her arm from around Liara.

Shiala stepped up to Shepard, placing her hands on Shepard's face, not noticing the scowl Liara was giving her, although Kaidan was rather more observant. "I will try to make this as painless as I can Commander, embrace eternity."

Shepard felt her head throb as she became aware of Shiala at the edge of her mind, before imaged, sounds and feelings surged through her. Slowly the pain began to build until she lost all awareness of what was around her.

* * *

A/N4: I realize this is rather close to the game, but I hope bits I have added and changed are enough to keep it interesting, while fixing that bit with the door, always annoyed the hell out of me.


	9. Light Duty

******Chapter 8 – Light Duty**

Shepard forced her eyes open, gasping for breath. She rolled on her side, grunting in pain as she put weight onto her right arm. She froze at the sight of Liara curled up in a chair beside her.

"Ah, Shepard. I wondered when you would wake up." Doctor Chakwas said from her desk on the other side of the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Arm and leg are killing me, how bad is it?" Shepard asked, letting herself fall onto her back.

"You don't even want to know the damage you did to that leg, stay off it for a day while the medi-gel works. That arm is fine, pain should fade by the end of the day."

"I assume I'm being confined to bed for a few days then?" Shepard groaned.

"Of course, a days bed rest, and a couple of light duty, and you'll be good as new. But first, Joker keeps pestering me that the Council would like to speak with you." Chakwas sighed. "You can go up to the comm room, but I want you to come back as soon as you've finished speaking to them."

Shepard slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed as Liara looked up at her with blue eyes, slowly waking. "I'll take her up, Doctor." She chirped, as she passed Shepard a pair of crutches from beside the bed.

Shepard slid onto the floor, starting off towards the comm room. "I'll be back in a bit Doc."

Shepard stepped into the comm room, incredible annoyed at being on crutches after climbing the stairs up from the crew deck. "Joker, get me the Council?" she asked as she stepped towards the terminal.

"Sure thing commander." Joker responded, leaving her to wait for the connection.

Liara stepped up beside Shepard, having followed her up the stairs to ensure she was okay.

"Commander, Exogeni should have told us about the Thorian, it would have made your job much easier." The Asari Councillor said as the Council's holograms appeared.

"You might have been able to capture it for study rather than having to kill it." The Salarian Councillor added.

"The Thorian could control minds, and from what I saw it was incredibly effective. Anyone studying it would have just become it's thralls." Shepard stated.

"Perhaps it's for the best then. At least you managed to save the colony." The Asari Councillor ventured.

"Of course, Shepard would do anything to save a human colony." The Tuian Councillor spat.

"Yes, I would!" Shepard returned, "And I would do the same thing for any other colony in this galaxy. You sent me to stop Saren, to clean up the mess of **your** rogue spectre, so don't complain about me doing the job **you** gave me. They were in trouble, I had to help them."

"Admiral, but sometimes spectres have to make sacrifices. The mission must come first, as you know." the Salarian ventured. "I only hope you can do that should the time come."

"Goodbye Commander, we await your next report." The Asari Councillor said before the line cut off, not willing to give anyone chance to reignite the conversation.

"I swear, I hate them more every time I speak to them." Shepard sighed as she moved towards a chair at the side of the room. "Joker, could you call the team to meet us here." she ordered before looking back at Liara, "How long was I out anyway?"

Liara frowned at Shepard as she sat down, "Just a couple of hours, but you need to go back to the medbay."

"And I will... after I get a report from my team over what's happened since, and we've discussed how to proceed." Shepard stated firmly.

The crew slowly entered the comm room, Garrus leading covered in grease from the Mako. Wrex was the last one to enter the room, and to everyone's disgust, dropped the corpse of a varren just inside the door.

"Right, so what have you all been up to since we killed the Thorian?" Shepard asked, eying the varren.

"We've mostly been trying to help the colony out with a few problems the attack caused. They had food, water and energy shortages because of the attack, which Wrex, Tali and me were able to help with." Ash stated before noticing Shepard was eying the varren. "Ye.. Wrex hunted down a pack of varren for them, apparently he's is rather skilled at it."

"Heh, reminds me of home" Wrex laughed.

"Right, so the colony's trying to find it's feet again. What happened with Shiala?" Shepard asked looking over towards Liara. "And how do you two know each other anyway?"

"Well, as she said, she works- er, worked for my mother. She was the head of the T'Soni house's commandos. She's volunteered to remain at the colony for the time being, and help to fix the damage that she helped to inflict on the colony, willing or not." Liara mumbled.

Shepard just looked at her curiously, before looking back to Kaidan and Ash. "Do we have any more leads on Saren?"

"Absolutely nothing, Commander, apart from whatever that... cryptic... thing was that asari gave you." Kaidan moaned, waving a hand as he tried to refer to the cipher.

"Well nothings just jumping out at me, I'll let you all know if anything comes to light." Shepard replied before looking around the room. "Okay, get back to what you were all doing, we might stay a little while until the alliance sends some relief for the colony. And Wrex, do something before that varren stinks up the ship!"

Shepard lifted herself to her feet once everyone but Liara had left, starting back towards the medbay. "Come on, how do you know Shiala so well? Most people don't take that much interest int heir parents employees."

Liara turned a slightly darker shade of blue as she helped Shepard town tot he crew deck. "I might have had a bit of a crush on her as I was growing up. I've liked purple ever since."

Shepard laughed lightly, "Guess that explains a few things. So why exactly, are you hanging around like my shadow?" Shepard queried. "Like you said, this is a major prothean site, and you're helping the cripple around!"

"You jumped off that ledge after me, necessary or not. I guess I just feel responsible." Liara admitted. They both walked back into the medbay in silence, until Liara found Shepard's attention fixed on her eyes while she was sitting on her bed. "Why did you shoot that man, Commander?" she asked, clearly disproving.

"He pointed a gun at a member of my team. I did it for the same reason I jumped after you. My team was in trouble!" Shepard stated, instantly finding herself unable to look at Liara as she pushed herself back up the bed.

Liara just frowned, shaking her head. "No! Kaidan and Ash both had guns pointed at their heads. You didn't shoot the marines when you walked in there. He waved that gun at Lizabeth and Juliana, and you didn't shoot him." she observed.

Shepard just lay in the bed looking up at the ceiling, while Liara stood there waiting for an answer.

"I'm pulling you off all missions, I engendered a civilian, and the safety of the team." Shepard stated, using the calm tone she used for orders on missions.

"Jane... you can't-" Liara started, sounding upset until Shepard cut her off.

"Dismissed, Doctor."

Liara simply turned and ran out of the medbay, refusing to look at Shepard.

Doctor Chakwas stepped up to Shepard, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I think there's meant to be a _Commander_ at the end of that question Doctor." Shepard replied, frowning at the Doctor.

"Don't give me that. You know full we you had no reason to do that to Liara. I read the reports, I know exactly what happened out there. Commander." Chakwas chided before she calmly walked out of the medbay, leaving Shepard alone.

Shepard just lay there, looking up at the ceiling rather than rolling over and facing the discomfort her limbs were causing her. Why shouldn't she stop Liara from going on missions? It was her team, her mission, her decision.

* * *

Ash looked round at the elevator, just like everyone else in the cargo bay, as the door slid open. Liara stepped through the doorway as an audible bang came from under the mostly repaired Mako, Garrus's head coming into contact with the base of the vehicle. She walked strait towards Ash, stopping just next to her while Ash looked at her, slightly confused.

"Can we talk, please, Ash?" Liara muttered, clearly upset about something.

"Erm, sure." Ash answered nervously before she pulled Liara down between the workbench she had been cleaning a rifle on, and the cargo doors. Settling herself in next to Liara, in as much privacy they were going to get on a small ship, she looked over her shoulder at Liara. How on earth had she ended up with Liara coming to talk to her when she was upset, just a few days ago they'd been in a rather loud argument because Ash didn't trust her. "What's up Blue?"

Liara smiled slightly at the nickname, "Shepard... she told me I'm not going on any more missions. I'm... grounded, I guess."

"Did she say why?" Ash asked puzzled.

"She said something about keeping me and everyone else safe, but it didn't make a lot of sense." Liara answered, clearly not remotely convinced.

Ash just looked over at Liara. "You do know Alliance regulations on fraternization, don't you?"

Liara sighed looking down at the floor, "What does fraternization have to do with any of this?"

Ash rolled her eyes, letting her head fall back against the workbench, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone more infatuated than Shepard is right now. Sorry Blue, she's fall for you, hard, she just can't admit it to herself." Liara looked over at Ash stunned. "You really just going to sit there and make me think you had no idea?"

Liara just sat there as her cheeks turned a darker shade of blue. "I had no idea she felt the- erm, I didn't know."

"Oh no you don't, you're not even close to being as discrete as you think." Ash laughed "I've got three younger sisters, trust me, I know when someone is trying to hide that they like someone."

Liara just looked at her feet in front of her. "What do I do?" she asked innocently.

"I have no idea," Ash laughed, "depends entirely on what you want, and Shepard. Just... don't be anything other than yourself... If that makes any sense."

Liara just smile and shook her head, "Not in the slightest, but... thank you, Ashley." Liara looked back over the workbench, before back to Ash, "Do you have time to give me a shooting lesson?"

Ash smiled at her, "Sure, but what's the thinking?"

Liara simply returned Ash's smile, "If there's a way to convince Shepard to let me back on missions..."

* * *

"_Shepard, we've just received a message from Admiral Kahoku."_

"Does it look like I'm in a position to come up to the comm room Joker?" Shepard asked to the ceiling, a rather large pile of pillows cushioning her leg after Chakwas refused to up her painkiller dose.

"_Erm, no idea. I'll just sent it to your omni."_ Joker replied before cutting the comm.

Shepard lifted her omni tool up as it lit, informing her there was a waiting message. "Shepard, this is Admiral Kahoku. I've managed to track down who planted that beacon, the trap that got my best squad killed by the thresher maw. Damn I hope you get this message. It was a group called Cerberus, an Alliance black ops organization, top secret, highest level security clearance. They disappeared, dropped right off the grid, nobody I speak to seems to know where they went or what they've been up to. I don't know exactly what they've been doing, but they seem to be conducting genetic experiments from some of the shipments I've tracked, I think they're trying to create some kind of super soldier. I don't have any proof, but I managed to find the location of one of their research base, I'm uploading the coordinated with this message. I've done all I can Shepard, they know I'm onto them, I think they still have people in the Alliance chain of command. This is probably the last you'll hear from me, please... It's up to you now."

Shepard blinked as the Kahoku's voice cut off, leaving a set of coordinates on her omni-tool. She quickly opened a comm link. "Pressly, I need you to get the ship ready, and get us to the Yangtze system."

"_Yes Commander, I'll start recalling the crew."_ Pressly assured, presumably needing to get Wrex back on board.

Shepard quickly opened another link. "Kaidan, I need you to come to the medd bay. And since I'm not allowed on duty, bring alcohol." She paused at a disapproving cough from a desk across the room. "Fine... make it coffee." She amended begrudgingly.

"_Aye-Aye, Commander."_ Kaidan acknowledged.

* * *

The galaxy map spread out before her, as she stood on the platform assigned to the CO. Despite always seeming far too large for it's purpose, it was certainly easy to get lost watching the map slowly spin. After a night in the medbay, Shepard might have been discharged, but she wasn't cleared for anything more than light duty, and not being in the Mako with her team was proving to be taxing in its self. "Joker, how long till we're in the drop position?"

"_About thirty seconds less than the last time you asked, Commander."_ Joker droned. _"We're just entering the atmosphere, We'll be dropping the Mako in two minutes."_

"Kaidan, you guys all set?"

"_Ye, Wrex could use a larger seatbelt, but we're good to go. Lets hope one of us can bring this thing back from a mission in one piece."_

"Drop in less than two minutes, Lieutenant." Shepard snapped.

"_Aye Commander."_

Shepard just leant on the railing, looking towards the cockpit as Joker started a countdown to the drop _"Thirty Seconds... Five, four, three, two... Mako is away. Clean drop. Returning to orbit."_

Shepard sat down on the end of the ramp, reopening her link to the Mako. "You guys all okay down there?"

"_Well, apart from the smooth landing, Commander, it's just like you're here."_ Ash chimed to a roar of laughter from Wrex.

"Just keep your head, you have a completely unknown enemy force down there."

"_Aye-Aye Skipper, we'll bring you back something nice."_

Shepard cut the comm and started off towards the ship's drive core, at least she didn't need crutches. With a large number of the crew working in the CIC, the crew deck and cargo bay seemed unnaturally quiet. The engineering deck however proved much like the CIC, the crew were all working at their stations. Adams was monitoring the situation, could the Normandy come under attack. Shepard weaved her way through the crew members towards Tali, standing out from the crowd in her suit. "Tali, how are you doing down here?"

"Shepard!" Tali squeaked in surprise. "Er, what are you doing down here, I don't think I've ever seen you in here before?"

"I've never been on the ship while any of my team were on a mission before." Shepard sighed, leaning against a railing. "I hope you've settled in okay?"

"Ye, it's a marvellous ship, it's just... so quiet all the time."

Shepard looked around the rather crowded room. "Even now? We've got a complete staff running around keeping the ship primed."

"It's not just the number of people, although quarian ships are far more packed. The ship runs so smoothly. If it's this quiet, something has gone wrong, an air filter, the circulation, heating. At the very least we have the constant drone of the ship's engines, but here... It's all so new." Tali explained, seemingly in awe.

"Must be a big contrast, with an entire race living aboard ships, it must be hard to find any space to yourself?"

"Unbelievably, we're all packed in, and yet all isolated from one another in our suits. And with the Flotilla constantly gaining new ships, clean rooms are becoming increasingly rare. We only have them on the ships we originally fled with, it's not effective to build them on those we salvage."

"Hang on, you still have ships from when you first left your home world? That's three hundred years ago, how are they still even running?" Shepard asked astonished.

"We're constantly refitting and repairing them, they certainly aren't pretty to look at, but they do the job. The Normandy's beautiful though, especially this drive core. It's amazing."

Shepard laughed, "I'm sure Adams has given you the full story of her, the drive core is defiantly his baby, not mine. So, if the fleet is always working to survive, why send quarians on the pilgrimage? It seems like sending you off into the galaxy, means less people to help maintain the fleet."

"We can't be self sufficient, there are things you just can't do on a ship. Things like hull plating and large ship components just can't be built, and we can't refine the materials. The pilgrimage we go through means we can get materials we can't produce. It's meant to prove to the flotilla, and our new captain, that we're valuable, not just a drain on our own resources."

"Still, seems a little... unusual to send anyone so young out into the galaxy alone, no one there to help them."

"It's not like that, we have training, and we're hardly forced to go. It's just tradition. If you'll excuse me Commander, I need to get back to the engine." Tali answered.

"I'll leave you to it." Shepard replied before she walked out the ship's drive core.

Ash she stepped through the door, she stared at the space in the cargo bay used to store the Mako, the only time she'd looked and hadn't seen it was after Therum. Unwilling to stand around looking at the reminder her team was on the planet without her, she stepped into the lift and went back up to the crew deck. Shepard went strait to her quarters after the elevator arrived at the crew deck and dropped onto her bed. Trying not to worry she closed her eyes just before the door chimed, lazily turning her head towards it, "Come in." she groaned before the door opened, revealing Liara standing in the doorway with her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Shepard, I-" Liara started quietly as she walked into the room, turning to stone as Shepard help up a hand.

Shepard lowered the hand back to the bed, pushing herself up to sit at the foot of it, not looking away from Liara. "I believe I asked you to call me Jane when it's just us."

Liara looked around slightly confused, trying to regain her composure. "Sorry, Jane. I think I've thought of something that might help make sense of the vision the beacon gave you." She paused as Shepard nodded at her. "You have the vision, and the cipher, but as far as I know, you have no knowledge of the protheans themselves. It is possible that by joining our minds, I could help you make sense of... whatever is in the vision."

"This isn't going to render me unconscious again is it?" Shepard asked, the colour draining from her face just at the thought of it.

"As far as I know, there are no ill effects of the meld on humans. What Shiala performed was considerably different to simply sharing thoughts or memories, in this case it would be the cipher, beacon and my knowledge of the protheans." Liara happily explained, clearly enjoying talking about the protheans.

"Okay, do you want to do it here, or did you have somewhere else in mind?" Shepard asked, glancing around the very empty room.

"I thought the medbay would be more suitable" Liara replied causing Shepard to sigh in relief, "I've never done a meld quite as strenuous as this one, or one on anyone other than an asari."

"Okay, medbay it is, and remember, I told you that I trust you." Shepard said, leading Liara out to the crew deck. The mess proved to be completely deserted, unsurprising given the time of day. The medbay probed equally empty with the exception of the doctor. "Hey Doc, seems you have me as a guest in your medbay once again."

"I'm thrilled Commander." Chakwas replied sarcastically without looking up from her terminal. "What can I do for the pair of you?"

"I'm attempting a meld with the Commander to try and make sense of the beacon." Liara offered shyly. "We felt it best to do it under your supervision, given my... lack of experience at melding."

"Okay, well I'll be right here dear should anything happen." Chakwas said gently reassuring Liara.

Shepard stepped in front of Liara, putting them both in the relative positions Shiala had taken with Shepard, looking at her eyes. "I'm ready when you are Liara."

Liara placed her hands on either side of Shepard's face, despite holding a hand being sufficient for a meld. Liara closed her eyes before she spoke "Embrace Eternity." Her eyes filled with black as she opened them. Giving them both a moment to adjust to the sensation of another person, Liara simply focused on shielding her own mind, fearing Shepard's reaction to some of her lines of thought, before she began looking for the vision the beacon forced on Jane.

They both recoiled slightly as the memory was uncovered, images becoming clear, metal tearing into flesh, life being extinguished on entire planets until the image of a giant ship reaching out towards them. The images appeared disjointed jumping from one image to the next until they found themselves just staring at each other once the vision ended. Liara gently prodded for the vision again, instead seeing Jeong appear as his pistol moved away from Shepard towards Liara, feeling herself think 'Not Liara, not her.' until her own pistol was pointed at Jeong's head and fired.

Liara blinked as her eyes reverted back to her bright shade of blue before she collapsed forwards against Shepard. Shepard looked down at her concerned, "Liara, are you okay?"

Liara slowly lifted her self up from where she had collapsed against Shepard's chest, wavering on her feet. She gently nodded her head before she muttered "I'm sorry."

"Did you see anything useful?" Shepard asked, not willing to dwell on the memory Liara saw.

Liara gently shook her head, not looking up from the floor. "I don't think so, just... death... and that ship." she replied, shuddering slightly at the thought of it. "The vision, it was... it's not all there. The beacon must have been damaged when you used it, or it was destroyed before you received all of the information."

"Saren must have another beacon, or be looking for one then." Shepard deduced, "Still, with his last two attacks on colonies failing to some extent, he'll probably be more discrete the next time he goes after something."

Doctor Chakwas walked over to them as Liara stumbled back against a bed. "Liara, are you sure you're okay."

Liara simply nodded at both of the humans around her, "I'm fine, it was just incredibly tiring. Far more than I'm use to at least."

"Shepard, could you take her to her bed, just in the cupboard. She should rest for a bit." Chakwas asked as she helped Liara back to her feet.

Shepard put an arm around Liara, practically carrying her into the storage room as she slowly drifted off against Shepard.

* * *

"We found Kahoku, dead. It seems he was being fed to some of the creature they had." Garrus said, seemingly unaffected by the human's demise.

"It was practically a zoo in there, they had such a large number of cages and containers." Kaidan offered "I don't know what they were researching, but I didn't see a lot of equipment."

"Do I want to ask what sort of animals we're talking about?" Shepard asked the ground team. They'd finally gotten back to the Normandy after a lengthy period of time fighting there way through the base, and several hours of worrying for Shepard.

"Husks, they had quite a few of those thorian thrall... things, and some sort of large insect, although we none of us could recognize the species." Ash recalled.

"Great, so not only are they within the Alliance, but they have ties to Exogeni as well. Let's just hope these bugs are from Exogeni rather than another company." Shepard complained. "Please tell me you found some information about a headquarters, base or something.?"

"We found their main base of operations, or some ship records that should lead us to it at least." Kaidan replied happily.

"Okay, get the information to Pressly, he can have Joker set a course once we know where we're gong." Shepard ordered as she rose to her feet. "Take the night off, and make sure you're ready when we get there."

"Before you go, Shepard, do we have any leads on Saren?" Ash asked.

"No, Liara and me tried to make sense of the vision, but it seems its incomplete." Shepard sighed before she walked out of the comm room. At least the mission had gone well without her. No one was seriously injured, but she hated that she hadn't been there with her team.

* * *

"The crap from those thralls just seems to get everywhere" Kaidan moaned as he sat down opposite Shepard in the mess.

"For the record Commander, you need to get real water showers installed." Ash insisted as she sat down next to the Commander, "The one thing I miss about Eden Prime."

"Not a problem, I'll just have to start charging you all room and board." Shepard quipped.

"On second thought, I'll pass." Ash groaned, starting on a rather large portion of food that probably matched Kaidan's biotic allotment.

"Guess it wasn't the easiest mission you've ever had?" Shepard asked, looking slightly worried.

"They just refused to give up ground. Only got worse once they started opening cages."

"I just hope Wrex found the showers after that thing exploded over him." Kaidan laughed. "Ship's going to stink otherwise."

"Worse than when he brought the dead varren on board?" Shepard asked, slightly worried. "Not sure the crew could survive it if he does, might have to start worrying about a mutiny."

"Only if you insist on driving the Mako rather than Kaidan, Commander" Ash jabbed.

"Did I mention I was assigning you to the Normandy repair team, Chief?" Shepard asked, grinning.

"Understood, Ma'am." Ash responded, sinking back towards her meal.

Wrex dropped what appeared to be a whole roast chicken onto the table, not bothering with a plate, before sitting down in front of it. "What are these two wimps whining about Shepard?"

"Er, the mission, and the amount fight Cerberus seems to have in them. Oh, and your smell" Shepard blurted before Ash and Kaidan looked round at her in shock.

"Heh, they think that was bad. I spent three days trying to kill a single asari once." Wrex laughed. "At least they had more fight in them than the geth do."

"Hold on, it took you three days to kill one Asari." Kaidan asked, shocked. "To think, Wrex use to be soft."

"She was an old friend... sort of, we'd met about a century before, we'd both been given contracts for the same turian. Spent more time fighting her than I did trying to kill him, couldn't believe it when I found out it was her first job." Wrex laughed to himself as he paused. "Bumped into her a few times on the Citadel over the that century, never worked out why, she always seemed to hate that place."

Shepard looked at him puzzled. "So how did you end up taking a contract on her?"

"Well I wasn't going to just let the contract go because I knew her. She'd really pissed of that Volus, so he was offering a fortune for her. Didn't seem right just to walk up and shoot her, so I let her know I was coming, even let her choose where we fought it out. In the end she simply sent me the coordinated of an old space station, just used as a hideout by pirated and mercs, so no one even close to innocentsaround to get hurt. She always did have a soft spot." Wrex grinned to himself "I'd managed to exhaust my entire supply of clips by the end of the second day, had to kill a bunch of mercs and use theirs, they were stupid to have stuck around that long. By the end of the third day, the entire station was coming apart, the last of the mercs were dead or gone. Life support was failing, but I had her cornered in the medical facility, she was trying to patch herself up, tough bitch. I was about to go in as the station's core went critical, barely made it back to my ship before it blew."

"Safe to assume she didn't survive the station she was standing on blowing up." Ash ventured, not entirely certain.

"Thankfully, the first explosion didn't knock my sensors out. Then I just sat at a distance watching as it blew it's self apart. Once I was certain there was nothing left bigger than a turian's right nut, I went back to that Volus for the bounty. Half way there, I got a message from Aleena." Wrex laughed before trying to put on a high pitched impression of an asari, "Better luck next time!" Wrex just smiled, chuckling to himself.

"Leaving you with one very angry Volus."

"Nah, I told him the truth. Aleena was alive, and she was seriously pissed. If he wanted to stay alive, he needed me. He kept me on till he died, natural causes. Easiest contract I've ever had, but haven't seen Aleena since."

"Good story Wrex, but who knows, she could still be out there." Shepard said, smiling slightly at what had proved a slightly unexpected ending.

"I'm not looking for anything Shepard, she's long gone anyway." Wrex exhaled, growling in his throat. "Don't you all have work to do anyway?"

The three marines all looked at each other before quickly leaving the mess hall to the now annoyed krogan.

* * *

A/N: Some good/bad news, I'm on holiday for nine days from the 16th and I'm unlikely to be posting during that time, although I should be able to answer reviews and pm's for some of it, and I will catch up with all of them I've missed afterwards. I will however have my laptop and, depending on how busy my holiday is, a chapter or two to post when I get back.

And as always, please remember to review.


	10. Hellhound

A/N: Back from holiday, on which I think I got practically no writing done, so sorry to anyone expecting two or three rapid posts, that won't be happening. Thankfully, this chapter was practically finished before I left, so I did manage to finish this one off while I was away.

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Hellhound**

"How's it going since Shepard grounded you?" Kaidan asked, sitting down with a cup of coffee.

"Not too bad, could do with a little more to do around the ship, but I'm still trying to do everything I can to help with the mission." Liara replied eagerly. "I just wish she would let me come with everyone else."

"I'm sure she's just trying to do what's best, although Tali's still cleared for missions."

"Tali has military training though, Shepard knows that." Liara replied defensively.

"Tali's a civilian until she completes the pilgrimage, if I understood her correctly, and she's trained as a technical expert, not for front line combat." Kaidan pointed out.

Shepard stormed out of her quarters towards the medbay. "Kaidan, suit up. We hit dirt in less than ten minutes." She ordered before disappearing into the medbay.

Kaidan quickly got up from the table, abandoning his coffee, "See you later Liara" and disappeared towards the elevator.

* * *

Shepard stepped off the elevator into the cargo bay, struggling to attach the last plate of her armor to her thigh as she walked. "We all ready to go?" She asked, looking up at everyone gathered in the cargo bay.

"Ready to go." Ash managed before bursting into laughter, supporting herself on Kaidan.

"New armor Shepard?" Garrus asked while Liara and Wrex just looking at the two marines in confusion.

"Only way I could get Chakwas to clear me to go. Last thing I'm going to do is sit around while you're all down there again." Shepard moaned, looking down at the pink armor. "Why can't Sirta make red armor, red's medical. Pink's just... girly."

Ash just froze, looking at Shepard in her identical armor. "What's wrong with pink? It's not girly, it use to be considered masculine."

"Can we get moving?" Wrex grumbled, "I want to shoot something already."

"Fine" Shepard grumbled as she went over to her locker to retrieve her weapons, next to where Liara had perched herself watching the team assemble.

Liara looked down at Shepard curiously as she dug her shotgun out, "What's wrong with pink?"

Shepard just shrugged, not looking away from her locker. "If I'm shooting at someone, I want to look intimidating, so black and red are always my first choices. Although I do have a soft spot for blue on occasion."

"_Two minutes to drop, Commander."_ Joker announced over the comm.

"See you when we get back Liara." Shepard said walking off to the Mako as the rest of the group clambered in, not noticing Liara beaming at her as she swung her legs happily.

* * *

"Why can't we just charge down there and shoot them?" Wrex moaned from behind a large pile of dirt.

"Because, the three of us need to settle who the best shot is." Ash replied, pulling her sniper rifle over her shoulder while she looked for a somewhere to prop herself against the rocks they were all using for cover at the top of a valley.

"You mean you just can't admit it yet." Garrus laughed, before looking back to his rifle as Ash glared at him. "Looks like there's twelve down there, mostly soldiers, all human."

"Right, rules are simple, most kills wins. Losers buy the winner a drink." Shepard stated as she joined Ash and Garrus behind their cover. "Not joining us Kaidan?"

"You know I have practically no training with long range weapons." Kaidan shrugged.

Shepard leant over the rock ledge, putting her crosshair over a soldier below them. "Ready?"

The two each side of her muttered in response before Shepard ordered to fire. Her own shot hit the gap in the soldier's armor at the throat, leaving them gasping for breath as blood began to fill their lungs. Ash's shot went strait through the helmet of a second soldier, as they dropped cleanly to the ground. Garrus's shot however, sailed past the head of a soldier, impacting a canister behind them, grabbing the soldier's attention.

"You missed, Garrus." Ash laughed as she moved to a second target that had started to scramble for cover.

Before anyone had time to fire a second shot the canister Garrus had hit erupted, engulfing a large group of soldiers in flames. Several more were killed as several canisters that had been beside the original ruptured. The two soldiers that were remaining on their feet panicked, running strait for the entrance below ground and into safety, only to be shot down as Ash and Shepard fired at them both.

Ash leant back, returning her rifle to her back as she looked at Garrus. "That was cheating, you didn't even hit one."

"Shepard said most kills wins, and I got the most kills. She didn't put any more limitations on it than that." Garrus stated.

Wrex stepped up behind them, "Let's just finish this shall we, there's still a base full of them."

"Admit when you're beat Ash." Shepard laughed as she started down the side of the valley. "Let's go see what's waiting for us, shall we?"

The group approached the base cautiously, finding that us was unsurprisingly locked. Kaidan used several codes they had found raiding the lab to open the door, revealing an elevator leading below ground. Once the doors had sealed behind the team, they started a slow decent down into the depths of the base.

The car finally came to a halt, pausing for a second before the doors opened. Gunfire immediately lit up their shields before Kaidan and Wrex were able to throw barriers up just outside the doorway. The barriers quickly began to fail under the heavy fire of assault rifles from behind piles of containers being used as barricades within the base. Wrex charged into the soldiers, scattering bodies and containers as he smashed through the improvised defences. Shepard, Ash and Garrus's assault rifles fired from the elevator, quickly dispatching any of the soldiers remaining on their feet.

As their guns fell silent, they noticed an alarm blaring from within the facility. Shepard started towards a door at the far end of the room. "We need to move, see what's here. They could already be deleting data."

Everyone but Wrex followed, while he remained there kicking the bodies on the ground, firing his shotgun into any of the ambushers that had survived. Finding the rest of the base deserted, only with piles of containers in corners of rooms and a few basic amenities. As they all entered a small back room an alert flashed up across the HI of a computer terminal, followed by "Clearing local storage".

Shepard darted over to the terminal, transferring files to a OSD as fast as possible. Garrus stopped next to her as she rapidly worked the terminal. "Rest of the base is clear, no sign anyone else was here."

"Good, we'll head back to the Normandy as soon as- Ah Crap, it wiped practically everything." Shepard exclaimed, removing the OSD from the terminal and pocketing it. "Let's go, thank god that's the last we'll see of these guys."

* * *

"Joker! Set a course to the Citadel." Shepard ordered as she stepped out of the Mako into the cargo bay.

"_Aye-Aye Commander, course set."_

Shepard went back to her quarters, passing Liara and Tali in the mess hall, to change back into her uniform. Cleanly dressed, Shepard collapsed on her bed looking up at the ceiling, smiling to herself as she pictured Liara smiling at her as she had walked past. _'Oh god'_ Shepard thought burying her head into a pillow. Twenty-nine, and here she was about as rational as a teenager. Shepard groaned in frustration as she got up from the bed, throwing the pillow against the wall as she walked back towards the cargo bay.

Liara smiled at Shepard as she left her room, heading towards the elevator and stairs, but Shepard didn't seem to notice. Liara looked at Tali struggling with a straw and a filter. "I don't get how such a short-lived, emotional species, can be so..." Liara buried her head in her hands sighing.

Tali gave up with the straw, "Well, in the vids, humans always seem to have a... what do they call it... a eureka moment."

"And when does that happen?" Liara mumbled as she collapsed against the table.

"Usually right before the other person boards a shuttle." Tali sighed, rubbing her hands together feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Tell me that's _not_ how it always goes for humans."

"Er... I think Adams needs me in engineering." Tali said quickly before running off towards the drive core.

"Thanks for trying to help Tali." Liara sighed to the table before dragging herself off towards the medbay.

Shepard stepped off the elevator into the cargo bay and headed strait for the pair of legs sticking out from beneath the Mako. Garrus pushed himself out from under the vehicle, looking up at Shepard after she sat down in the open door to the Mako, upside down in his field of vision. "Something I can do for you Shepard?"

Shepard sighed before she looked at Garrus. "Anyone special waiting back home, or on the Citadel, Garrus?"

Garrus's mandibles flapped in what Shepard could only assume was a smirk. "Sorry Shepard, you're not my type, or species of choice."

He quickly pulled himself back under the Mako before Shepard gave him a gentle kick to the side. "Not what I was asking, you stupid chicken." Shepard half laughed before pushing Garrus back out from under the Mako with a foot. "What do you think of relationships between members of a crew?"

"I think the considerable lack of space can prove to be a problem if things don't go as you might hope." Garrus started, not looking away from the Mako. "I assume you're referring to our little prothean expert?"

Shepard just stared at him blankly for a second. "What... What makes you say that?"

Garrus only grinned, "Most of the crew's been discussing your... interests lately, after Tali found out word spread through the crew rather quickly."

"Remind me to have a word with her about gossiping, but not a huge amount of helpful advice so far Garrus." Shepard sighed.

"Ah, so you're putting the constantly single turian on the spot for relationship advice, makes sense." Garrus laughed. "All I can really do is say that turian regulations offer the crew far more... freedom with how they handle things than the Alliance appears to."

"So... what would you do?"

"I would be upstairs, rather than in the cargo bay with the spiky monster covered in grease." Garrus stated.

Shepard stood up, looking down at the turian, "Thanks for the advice Garrus." before she pushed him back under the Mako, causing a loud bang, and started for the elevator.

"Ouch, next time, how about you don't hit my head on the drive shaft." Garrus shouted before he paused waiting for a reply. "Shepard?... Shepard?"

* * *

Liara looked up as she heard a knock at the door, "Come in." The door slid open, revealing Shepard, looking quite serious. Liara quickly turned off the monitor on the terminal she had been using before getting up to her feet as Shepard stepped into the room. "Hi, Jane, what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to check in with you, see how you are."

"Er, I'm fine, I finished going through the last of the reports you had from Eden Prime." Liara said, while offering Shepard a seat.

"No thanks. I was a little more interested in talking about you." Shepard replied as she lent back against the wall.

"If you want to know about Asari, I'm sure I can send you some extranet-" Liara paused as Shepard put a hand up to stop Liara.

"You personally."

"Er, I assure you, I'm not that interesting Commander." Liara said shyly.

"I just like to know my crew. I know Ash's grandfather was a general in the First Contact War, Tali's father is an admiral in the Flotilla, Garrus was considered for spectre training when he first joined the military and Wrex had the hots for an asari commando at some point in time, although I suspect there was more than one given his life span. Doesn't have to be very interesting."

"Erm... Well... You know Benezia is my mother, she raised me by herself on Thessia."

"Your father wasn't around to help?" Shepard asked curiously, but regretted the question instantly, fearing that it might be a sensitive subject.

"I... don't remember anything about my father, If you want to use the term. I just know that they were another Asari." Liara replied, appearing a little sad.

"Wait, another asari? You mean you can... erm... reproduce with another species?" Shepard asked, feeling slightly awkward.

"We are capable of reproducing with any member of any species, provided they are a sentient species. While, it would be inaccurate to refer to it as mating, we can perform a union without specific physical contact, although we do require skin contact to meld." Liara sat down in the chair, relaxing a little as she continued to talk. "The meld gives us the ability to touch the very depths of their minds, and allow them to do the same. We can even explore their genetic memory, explore their race's identity."

"Er, the meld I was in with you and Shiala. They aren't the same as..." Shepard gulped, suddenly looking rather worried.

Liara just looked at her puzzled until she twigged. "No! No no no no no." Liara said quickly, "That was a very different meld, the... the depth of the meld was-"

"Relax Liara, you just had me a little worried." She offered, trying to reassure Liara.

"Of course, I guess I'm just not use to performing melds with others that aren't asari." Liara said quietly. "I forgot that you don't have the same sort of understanding."

"Do asari meld with each other a lot?" Shepard asked.

"It's common between friends, it's an easy way to share ideas, thoughts, memories. Although I've never..." Liara began to blush, rubbing the side of her neck as he face turned a dark shade of blue.

"Relax Liara, I know what you mean. I think we were talking about your father before this tangent, Benezia never told you about him- er, her?"

Liara sighed, grateful for the change of topic. "She left my mother when I was very young, but I was never told me anything about her." Liara screwed her face up before continuing. "I'm what's known as a pure blood... Although no one would be cruel enough to ever say it to my face. Since our species made contact with other species, a stigma has developed against having children with other asari, it's considered detrimental to our species. Asari inherit racial traits from the father species, if that is another asari nothing is gained, or so wisdom would hold." Liara paused, taking a deep breath as a tear down a cheek, looking at the floor. "It's possible she was simply ashamed of-"

"Whoa, don't think that." Shepard interrupted. "No one could be ashamed of you. For all you know, something happened to her that was too painful for Benezia to talk about."

"You might be right." Liara smiled, wiping her cheeks dry. "Thank you Jane."

"Right, If you're okay, I'm going to get back to work before I bring another uncomfortable subject up." Shepard laughed.

"Of course, I'm just glad to be the more eloquent one for a change." Liara teased.

Shepard just nodded before she walked back into the medbay, exhaling with relief as the door closed behind her, before banging her forehead on the wall in frustration.

"That's not good for the wall, Shepard." Chakwas chimed from her desk.

"Thanks for the advice Doc." Shepard said weakly.

"Finally catching on Shepard?"

"Ye, and I'm getting the impression that I'm the last person on this ship to as well." Shepard said to the wall before starting out the medbay. "We should be arriving at the Citadel late tonight if you need any supplies Doc."

"_Shepard, I have an incoming transmission for you, you're going to want to take this one." _Joker said over the comm. _"Oh, and Tali would like to speak to you when you have a moment."_

"I'll come up to the comm room, Tali can meet me there." Shepard replied, regaining her composure as she walked to the comm room.

The lights bathed the room in light as she stepped in, walking to the terminal. "Put them through Joker."

"_Ah, Commander Shepard. It's good to finally get the opportunity to talk to you."_ A smug voice said through the comm system, not projecting a hologram from the terminal.

"Who am I speaking to, it'd only be polite to speak to me face to face." Shepard said as calmly and authoritatively as she could.

"_I'm sorry Commander, but I'm afraid that's not possible, I have been instructed to keep my personal identity hidden from you for the time being. Suffice to say that I am an agent for the Shadow Broker. Admiral Kahoku contacted my employer looking for information about any and all information we had regarding Cerberus. We provided what limited information we had on the promise that he would turn over a copy of all information he was able to obtain on Cerberus actions and facilities to us."_

"Any information that I might or might not have obtained on Cerberus would be the property of the Alliance." Shepard stated, crossing her arms to posture herself, despite the call being audio only. "Besides, your deal was with the admiral, not me."

"_Don't be a fool Commander, we are willing to significantly reward you for your efforts. The Alliance will just file this information away somewhere, where it will eventually make it's way into our hands." _The agent argued.

"I'm loyal to the alliance, not the Shadow Broker."

"_Don't be a fool Commander, if you refuse this, don't expect the Shadow Broker to be generous should you need a favour."_

Shepard grinned as she stepped up to the console, "Take a hint. No!" before she cut the channel. As she turned to leave, she saw Tali entering the comm room. "Hi Tali, you wanted to speak to me about something?"

"Yes, I've been looking over the data you managed to recover from Cerberus." Tali said, seeming a little less bubbly than normal.

"Find anything interesting?"

"I'm not sure 'interesting' is the right word. Unfortunately, the data was largely incomplete, but I did get their records of ships, and some communications logs. They received and sent shipments to a lot more sites than the one we raided."

"Couldn't they just be companies shipping them those creatures to study?"

"If the site was only receiving shipments yes, but the logs show them sending shipments. I think we only raided a supply depot Shepard, and we have no way to work out where the rest of their facilities are, none of the origins or destinations are here." Tali stated growing annoyed.

"So... we have no way to follow this up." Shepard sighed in disappointment. "We'll just have to forward the information to the Alliance, see what they can do with it. Thank you Tali." Shepard did her best to smile at the quarian as they both left the comm room, despite the day going from bad to worse since she'd tried to talk to Liara.

* * *

Shepard had disembarked the Normandy before most of the crew were even awake. The Normandy had docked late in the night, unfortunately giving every reporter chance to find out the Normandy had docked. Shepard had slipped through the C-Sec academy again to avoid that had decided to camp out in the transport hub. The market Shepard had chosen seemed packed despite the early hour, although a large majority of the shop workers and customers appeared to be salarians.

"Shepard!" a blond man shouted from the other side of several stalls on the market, the slightly obsessive fan that had been around after her Spectre promotion. What soldier had fans?

Shepard tried to ignore him, moving into a crowd in the market, only to find herself face to face with him. "Conrad, it's... good to see you again."

"Shepard, I've been hoping to see you again too." He said happily.

Shepard continued walked between stalls, not willing to give him her full attention out of fear of reaching the limit of what she could put up with. "What can I do for you Conrad, I assume you'd like something?"

"Well, I've been thinking. I saw the news reports on what happened on Feros, another geth attack, and there those rumours of an attack at the mining colony on Therum and in the Armstrong Nebula. With so many, I'm not sure that one human spectre is enough."

"Armstrong Nebula? There hasn't been an attack there." Shepard queried.

"There's rumours popping up all over the extranet, but the Alliance hasn't made a statement about it yet. If they aren't stopping it yet, they could use more spectres." Conrad insisted.

"Conrad, the Alliance has a military, fleets. This fight is theirs. If you want to help, help back home, encourage people to support the Alliance, be with your family. Give the Alliance something to fight to protect."

"I... I guess you're right. I just got swept up in everything, you're such an inspiration to everyone." Conrad looked almost giddy with excitement. "At least now I can tell everyone that Shepard is fighting for them, the human spectre is fighting for them."

"Goodbye Conrad." Shepard asserted, forcing her way back into a crowd in the middle of the market and towards a weapons merchant.

After several hours, and several purchases, Shepard had ended up back on the Presidium with a long awaited good cup of coffee. Most of what she'd bought had been sent back to the Normandy, with the only exception being for the turian approaching the table. "Happy birthday Garrus."

Garrus just looked at her confused, "It's not my birthday Shepard."

"Whatever, what do you want to drink?" Shepard asked.

"I'm fine thanks, I just had breakfast. So what did you want to speak to me for?" Garrus asked, sitting down opposite Shepard.

"Well, I did want to wish you happy birthday and give you this." Shepard stated, placing a wrapped parcel on the table. "But, since I don't know when you're birthday is..."

"Er, twenty-seven years ago, we don't celebrate it annually like humans or salarians." Garrus couldn't help but look at the box with increasing curiosity. "So, what's in the box?"

"Well, it was a birthday present, but... since you don't celebrate them..." Shepard teased.

"Hang on Shepard, I was under the impression that humans considered it bad manners to purchase a gift, only to keep it for yourself." Garrus offered.

"Well, it's probably best I give you it anyway, you might hit your next target next time." Shepard said sarcastically.

Garrus sliced through the wrapping with a talon, before pulling a scope out of the packaging, looking at Shepard with a frown. "You know I meant to shoot that fuel canister."

"Of course you did Garrus." Shepard laughed.

Garrus just flapped his mandibles in a way Shepard could only assume was comparable to rolling his eyes from the laziness in them, "Thank you ever so much Shepard." before he laughed lightly. "So how did your chat with Doctor T'Soni go?" Shepard turned a shade of bright red, quickly drinking from her coffee. "Shepard..."

Shepard put the cup back down as she drained the last of it, out of an excuse not to answer. "I ended up getting a lesson on asari mating practices."

"Erm, not how I normally go about trying to tell a woman how I feel Shepard, but each to their own." Garrus laughed.

"Not exactly how I meant it to go, we got distracted while talking about her family, and we just sort of kept going back to it." Shepard couldn't help but laugh a little at the absurdity of how the conversation went. "I tried changing the topic, but I think I actually made things a worse."

Garrus just shook his head at her. "You don't strike me as the type to just give up, Shepard, otherwise it's a rather safe bet the Council wouldn't be sending you to stop a rogue spectre."

"Well, I could hardly press it after that, couldn't have asked for a worse atmosphere. Liara thinks she manages to say the wrong thing, you might as well crown me Queen of saying the worst bloody thing." Shepard said awkwardly.

"Queen, I've been thinking you were male all this time." Garrus gasped, flapping his mandibles feigning surprise.

"Very funny Garrus, humans can tell male and female turians apart, It's the individuals some of us struggle with." Shepard sighed before her omni tool beeped at her. She checked the name before looking back to Garrus. "I need to take this Garrus, it's Admiral Hackett."

Garrus just nodded as Shepard accepted the call.

"Admiral, good to hear from you again, but I am currently in a café on the citadel." Shepard said to the image of the admiral hovering over her arm.

"_Understood Commander. I'm sending some information to your pilot, we need your help with this Shepard."_

"Yes sir, I'll see what I can do." Shepard replied before looking back at Garrus. "Sounds like I'm going to be recalling the crew a little early."

* * *

"What have we got Joker?" Shepard didn't even wait for the airlock to seal behind her and Garrus before she took command.

"From the looks of it, Saren's ordered an all out invasion of the Armstrong Nebula. We've got a few outposts there, mining operations, the usual. Seems a frigate stumbled onto a staging ground the geth set up. A research facility went silent just before Admiral Hackett contacted you, guess we know why he was desperate enough to call a spectre."

"This doesn't make sense, Saren's after the conduit. Why would he get ready to attack us before he's found it. If this escalates this to all out war, he'll have the entire Citadel fleet to contend with." Shepard observed in disbelief.

"Well, he does have that reaper ship we saw on Eden Prime, got to be packing some fire-power." Joker shrugged.

"Or he wants us to go after that staging ground. I said he'd be more discrete with his tactics, it's a distraction."

"Right... so... what do we do?" Joker asked looking utterly LOST.

"We take the bait. Recall the crew, and get us to the Armstrong Nebula as fast as you can Joker." Shepard ordered starting off towards the comm room. "And get me a comm line to Admiral Hackett."

Shepard just found herself pacing across the comm room. She'd already spoken to Tali after she had got back to the Normandy, which had departed the citadel just after the last crew member was on board. Hackett had been tied up in one conversation or another for the last half hour until a hologram finally appeared.

"Shepard, sorry for the delay, but I'm sure you can imagine things have been rather hectic." Hackett apologized. "This threat has got the Prime Minister rather worked up, not to mention the Chain of Command. The Fifth fleet is preparing to strike before we lose any more ground."

"We have a plan that would avoid this resulting in a major battle, the fleet would only need a couple of squadrons for clean-up." Shepard offered.

"We just hoped you'd lead our assault to reclaim one of the colonies, publicity stunt, but... I'll need details if you want me to suggest anything to the Admirals, Commander."

"Erm, actually sir, I want you to delay them. We just passed through the relay to the Attican Beta cluster, half an hour ahead of your fleet, and this is the fastest ship in the Alliance. We just need a bit more time once we get there. If we do this right, no one will know we were there." Shepard pleaded.

"Why exactly do I want to agree to this Shepard?" The Admiral asked looking a little annoyed.

"We've heard of the rumours already floating around on the extranet. So far there the geth have launched two attacks on colonies that were successfully repelled, even if the casualties were unacceptable. If this ends up an all out war, the press would have a field day, and the Alliance's reputation for defending it's colonies would be destroyed." Shepard explained, trying desperately to convince the Admiral. "Not to mention that Saren will be able to go after any colony or facility for the information he needs to find the conduit, and we'll have no way to tell."

"You make a fair point Commander," He conceded, "but what makes you so certain you can take care of this, they have a huge ground force, and a fleet down there."

"I have a geth expert on board, and a ship they can't detect. We have a plan, but I'd rather give you as much plausibility dependability as I can, Sir." Shepard smiled, glad the admiral appeared to be agreeing. "Spectre operations are classified after all."

Hackett laughed, "You pulling rank on me, Commander? You'll get your time, but you owe me a favour."

"Appreciate it Sir." Shepard nodded.

"Hackett out."

* * *

A/N: After writing this chapter, I realized I really need to improve my action sequences, especially with the battle for the Citadel in the future. I would appreciate it if everyone that could, would leave feedback on this aspect specifically for this chapter and the next. Any other feedback is of course also welcome.


	11. All's Fair

A/N: Sorry for the incredibly slow rate this chapter progressed at, I'm afraid I'm out of routine writing, and this has probably proven to be that hardest to write. Hopefully though, it was worth it.

* * *

**Chapter 10 – All's Fair**

Notanban hung in the sky over them, the large blue orb the only source of light on Solcrum, the planets largest moon. The large star however, pushed the surface temperature to well over two-hundred degrees Celsius, well beyond what their suits could compensate for, even in the planets shadow. The Normandy was positioned in a valley out of sight of the geth base, which had required some impressive low altitude flying from Joker to get there undetected. Most of the team were sat in the open cargo bay, in case a geth patrol stumbled across the Normandy while Shepard, Garrus and Tali waved their way towards the geth base, trying to make the most of the barren moon's terrain to avoid detection.

As they neared the perimeter, a large wall came into view between them and their goal. Three geth drop ships were visible from their position, although scans had shown four more on the opposite side of the base. These three however appeared to already be loaded with munitions and geth platforms, leaving only geth perimeter patrols in the area. After hiding the Mako at the base of a rock face, out of view of the geth camp, Shepard and Garrus turned to face Tali in the back of the vehicle.

"Did you see enough to find us a way into there?" She asked, picking her breather helmet up from the rack.

"I think so, it looked like there was an access point for patrols. If we can get past the units guarding it, we should be able to slip inside without any geth spotting us." Tali chirped, "Then, we need to get on board a ship as fast as we can before our suits fail."

"Nothing like a time limit to make things fun." Garrus smirked, sealing his helmet.

"For the record, I've only got about three and a half minutes out there." Shepard said pulling a large bag onto her back and moving towards the door.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to my sidekick." Garrus laughed following Shepard out onto the surface with his own bag.

The three quickly moved towards the end of the rock face, putting them just out of view of two geth standing guard at the gateway.

"Any suggestions on how to get past them without alerting the entire camp?" Shepard asked the two behind her.

"We could take them both out with a sniper shot each." Garrus offered pulling his rifle out.

"Their consensus would notice them going silent immediately, I can hack the two units and give us enough time to get past them." Tali countered to a nod of approval from Shepard. "Just give me a few minutes, normally I destabilize their power core to prevent them keeping me out, but they would detect that too."

Shepard and Garrus sat back against the rock, keeping watch to ensure no one spotted them while Tali worked. Shepard couldn't help but watch the temperature warning on her HUD slowly rise, getting worried as it approached ninety degrees. "Tali, we need to go now, or I need to get back to the Mako." Sweat was running down her forehead, unable to wipe it away from her eyes in the helmet.

"I got it Commander." Tali shouted in glee.

Garrus just poked his head out to look at the two geth. "They aren't doing anything... they're just standing there." he observed, his voice full of concern.

"They're playing back the last ten minutes of sensor data, as long as we don't touch them they won't know we're there." Tali said, slowly moving out from behind the rocky edge.

Shepard practically leapt out of cover, making her break towards the fortifications and cool air. "Pick up the pace, we need to get out of this heat."

The three of them rushed through the wall towards the nearest geth frigate. Thankfully the geth didn't notice them as they passed between the two units. Moving quickly, but as quietly as they could, they covered the hundred metres between the wall and the closest ship to fall into cover against the hull. As Tali reached it, she dropped to the ground, rolling a few metres beneath the hull before coming to a stop and looking up at the solid metal above her.

Shepard looked down below the ship at Tali, "We need a way in, before I fry in this thing." her eyes narrowed at the lack of a visible entrance. "Please tell me we have a way in Tali."

Tali just looked at her omni took as she shuffled about beneath the ship. "Come on you little Bosh'tet-"

"Tali, hurry." Shepard pleaded.

"Got it." Tali shouted gleefully as a hatch appeared in the hull of the ship, opening up to allow them access.

Shepard quickly followed Tali up through the short shaft into the hull, unable to see anything as the light reflected from the planet disappeared, leaving her sitting in darkness as Garrus climbed up somewhere behind her. Tali taped at her omni tool to close the hatch before turning on a torch and running it around the floor, looking for Shepard. Garrus followed Tali's lead, turning on his torch, before finding Shepard collapsed against the floor, struggling to reach for her helmet's seal.

Tali glanced over to where Garru's torch had stopped. "Wouldn't do that if I were you Shepard, there's no reason for the geth to maintain an atmosphere for any reason other than climate control, looks like it's almost pure nitrogen." she chirped quickly, before Shepard's arms fell to the ground beside her.

"Just give me a few minutes for this suit to cool down." Shepard gasped, struggling to breath the heated air in her suit. "Make sure this room's secure, where are we anyway?"

Garrus's light passed over a geth unit, causing him to jump back, and the light move up to the inactive light on the head. Tali looked over to investigate the sudden noise. "Every platform on this ship should be inactive, the geth will all have uploaded into the ship."

"Wait, the geth can upload themselves? I though AI were integrated into a single quantum blue box." Garrus asked as his light passed over more geth, all stacked against the walls of the ship.

"No, the geth aren't true AI, they are only software. They can upload and transfer themselves between anything with sufficient processing power. At the minute, they're all in the ship since they are at their most effective in large numbers." Tali explained.

Shepard pushed herself to her feet, her suit finally having cooled down. "So, where exactly are we Tali?"

"The geth store their platforms somewhere, that hatch is how they deploy onto a planet, since they can survive long drops without damage. There's three more of these rooms on this ship, all on this deck, it lets them quickly download and then deploy."

"Makes sense they build their ships around their platform's abilities. So which way to the drive core?" Shepard asked, turning her own torch on.

Tali lit a doorway up beside the group, "Through there, we should be able to get to the drive core without alerting the geth." Tali walked over to the door lighting up her omni again and quickly hacked her way through the lock.

Shepard was the first through, heading quickly towards the drive core. Garrus kept pace with her, both scanning the passages they walked past. Tali kept pace behind them, shouting directions. After hacking through several more doors, the hum and pulse of a Eezo Core became audible. Hacking through the last door into the engine room, the glow of the Eezo core gently lighting the room up.

Shepard looked round at Tali as she pulled the bag off her back. "I was expecting a few active units in here at least."

"The ship's ground side, and not in combat, so they'll do everything they can to saving power. My ancestors designed the geth to be an efficient work force, not something they'll ever change." Tali shrugged. "We should get these charges on the supports around the drive core. I'll start on accessing their database."

Shepard and Garrus quickly covered the ground to the core, pulling charges out of their backs, attaching them onto reachable supports. As Shepard strapped her last explosive onto what appeared to be a power conduit, she pulled a detonator out of her bag, slipping it into a pouch before throwing the bag to a side. "We good to go Garrus?"

Garrus jumped down off a console he had been standing on, grinning at them. "Not usually a fan for explosions, but this should put on a show."

"We should get moving before the geth have time to detect my hacks." Tali said urgently from the behind them as she closed down the terminal she had been using.

Half way across the room, Tali froze causing the other two to look back to investigate the loss of her footsteps, seeing her with her omni-tool still lit up. "We've got units activating to investigate the doors opening, every exit we can use is going to be full of them."

Shepard grabbed Tali's hand, pulling her on towards the hatch they had used to enter the ship, as her other hand pulled the shotgun off her back. As they approached the door tot he drop room, a single geth came into view working to secure the hacked controls. Shepard put a single blast of shrapnel into the head of geth before at least half a dozen lights turned to face them from inside the room. "Think they know we're here." she shouted, throwing several grenades into the room. Tali quickly hit several controls on her omni, sealing the door. A single loud series of chips came from the other side of the door before a loud explosion seemed to echo through the heavy metal, leaving silence. As the door opened a single, almost intact, platform fell though with it's light flickering as they stepped over it.

The three stood around the hatch in the floor, waiting for Tali to hack the lock again. Shepard couldn't help but keep looking around at the inactive geth platforms around them. Once Tali had opened the hatch, Garrus looked over to Shepard opposite him. "What is it you humans say... ladies first?"

Shepard dropped to the ground, instantly finding shots landing around her, with several flaring her shield as she landed. She quickly rolled tot he side before pulling out her assault rifle and fired back in the direction the shots had come from. Garrus landed beside her, closely followed by Tali as the intensity of the fire increased, pinning them under the ship as the doorway above them sealed it's self. Garrus landed a shot into the optics of a prime unit before he looked over to Tali, "Since they know we're here already, can you hack a few of them?"

"Their shields are blocking my signal, I can't get in. The best I can do it try to slow down their processes, put some random junk into their network."

Shepard frowned, looking for some cover, "Do as much as you can." With no available cover around them, she rolled to the edge of the ship. She quickly jumped to her feet, sprinting towards a geth prime that was still aiming for Tali and Garrus. As she managed to gain some momentum a large cluster of fire hit where she had just been laying just out of the hull. Shepard started firing rapidly at the large number of geth in front of her as she continued to charge, still not targeting her, quickly dropping their shield. Reacting quickly, Tali managed to hack several of the platforms as the shields failed, causing them to started to firing on the others around them as their shield returned. Leaving the cluster of geth to their infighting, Shepard jumped to the side at the noise of a rocket firing from behind her. She landed, going into a roll, as a rocket hit the grown where she had been standing sending shrapnel over her head and into her shields.

Tali continued watching her omni, waiting for more of the shields to stop. She looked as she heard an explosion to see Shepard land on the ground with her assault rifle out of each. Tali could only watch as the geth started towards the commander, raising their assault rifles to fire. A single shot went past her, hitting the geth with the rocket launcher in the chest, dropping it's shields, leaving the unit in tact. Shepard quickly hacked the geth, rounding the rocket launcher on another prime standing in the middle of the group. The rocket landed in the chest of the prime, blowing the platform apart, as well as the unit armed with the rocket launcher. The other geth looked around at each other in confusion as Tali ran out from under the ship. Garrus continued to fire, hitting the geth in their heads. As Tali neared the geth, she fire her shotgun at each of the remaining platforms, leaving them on the ground inactive, until the weapon whined in protest.

With the exit in the wall now left open, more geth closed in from around the cam. Garrus quickly ran out from beneath the ship towards Tali and Shepard, who was limping slowly towards the exit. Supporting Shepard, the three of them quickly heading back tot he Mako, while Garrus and Tali fired randomly behind them. Shepard climbed in first, collapsing on the rear seats her skin matching her hair from the heat in her suit. Tali quickly climbed into the driver's seat, bringing the Mako to life, while Garrus sealed the door before he climbed into the gunner's seat. Once the Mako had pressurized, Shepard tore her helmet off, gasping for cool air while Garrus fired several large slugs from the mass driver cannon towards the geth that had pursued them out of the camp.

As they weren't worrying about not being seen by the geth, Tali drove in a direct line for the Normandy, bouncing about over the terrain, until they were safely in the Normandy's Cargo bay.

Shepard clambered to her feet, her voice raspy as she spoke into the comm. "Get us out of here Joker."

"_Aye-Aye Commander."_ Joker replied as he lifted the Normandy off towards orbit.

Shepard stumbled out of the Mako, still bright red. Garrus caught her before she could collapse onto the floor. "We're getting you up to the medbay."

Shepard just put an arm around him while she slipped the detonator out of its pouch before pressing her thumb down on the button as the large form of Wrex approached them.

Joker made the Normandy climb rapidly, banking to dodge shots being fired at them with the Normandy's heat sinks needing to discharge. Two of the geth frigates powered up their engines, before they slowly lifted off from the planet's surface, until one seemed to slow before it was consumed by explosions across the hull. The ruined ship fell back towards the ground before the Eezo core erupted, sending waved of dark energy out from the ship. The remaining frigate, still heading towards them, appeared to slowed it's ascent as the energy passed over them before it's core detonated, ripping the ship apart with a single explosion. The Normandy continued towards orbit and safety, leaving the wrecked ship to fall back to the moon's surface.

* * *

Liara stepped into the medbay after the noise from the neighbouring room had rapidly increased. She found Wrex filling the space by the beds, holding a body clad in armor, a new set of black and red armor Shepard had bought on the Citadel.

Wrex dropped the limp body rather roughly onto the bed before he turned to Doctor Chakwas. "She'd better be okay."

"She'll be fine Wrex, I assure you. You've seen how tough she is." Chakwas asserted, "Now, can you please get out of my medbay and let me work."

Wrex just huffed as he walked past the doctor and out of the medbay. Chakwas glanced over to Liara before she started running around her medbay.

With Shepard's armor discarded to the next bed, and the Commander wrapped in with a sheet while the bed and a drip carried out the treatment, Doctor Chakwas had disappeared from Liara's attention as she continued to watch the sleeping commander, at least until a voice from somewhere beside her made her jump.

"She'll be fine dear, it's just heat exhaustion."

Liara nodded to the doctor now at her desk, before she continued to stare at the bed.

After Liara didn't answer her she walked over to the asari. "Are you okay dear, is there anything you need?"

"If it's possible, could I have a few minutes alone to speak to her?" Liara asked quietly.

"Of course, but she is asleep at the minute. The bed's programmed for her care, I'll be in the mess hall until you're finished." Chakwas replied politely. "I can monitor her from there."

"Thank you Doctor." Liara smiled.

As Doctor Chakwas walked out of the medbay, leaving Liara to pull a chair over to besides Shepard's bed before she perched herself on the edge. She forced herself to look up at the commander's closed eyes, listening to the hollow breaths in the oxygen mask covering the Commander's mouth and nose. Overwhelmed as she felt tears threatening to break free, she shifted her gaze, staring at the foot of the bed in silence. Liara sat there chewing on her bottom lip, listening to Shepard breathing as her thoughts steadily wound themselves into knots, forcing the young asari to try to voice them, to try to make sense of them.

"Why am I putting myself through this Shepard? You're a soldier, I'm just and archaeologist, there's now way we could possibly work, and you just keep landing yourself in this medbay. We have nothing in common, we're not even the same species. I know the crew has been insisting that you have feeling for me, but part of me refuses to believe them. I..." Liara sniffed, wiping tears from her eyes and cheeks on the back of her sleeve, "I saw why you shot that man, but... I can't help but question it, am I just fooling myself, do I really want to know you shot him because of me?" Liara paused again, trying to find anything in her head to put into words. "I can't even manage to say any of this to you while you're awake, I'm just sat here, talking to your unconscious body... I read about what you did on Elysium, the Alliances N7 program, even how you ended up becoming a spectre. You have to be the most recognizable soldier in the Alliance. I'm barely even noticed by any of my colleagues, there isn't anyone outside of this ship that I could call a friend... why would you even notice me?"

"I do notice you." Shepard wheezed as she reached up to pull the mask off. "I haven't been able to stop noticing you.

Liara squeaked in surprise as she looked up to see a pair of bright green eyes staring at her as she felt heat spreading across her cheeks. "How... how long have you been awake?"

"Well, the first thing I remember seeing if you sitting there, chewing on your bottom lip, looking adorable." Shepard smiled at the blushing asari.

Liara could feel the heat spreading across the rest of her face and neck, forcing her to look away from Shepard in embarrassment.

"Do you wish you hadn't said any of that?" Shepard asked, unable to find Liara blushing anything but cute.

Liara went back to chewing on her lip before she replied. "No, but... why didn't you stop me?"

"One of us needed to say something sooner or later, and you looked like something was going to drive you mad." Shepard offered smiling softly at her.

"Well, if someone could stop landing themselves in the medbay, I wouldn't have so much to worry about." Liara replied, giving Shepard a rather unamused look. "Just promise me you aren't going to do anything to put yourself in here again, please."

"No promises, but I have no intention of spending any more time in here than I have to, although it's far more interesting in here today than it is normally." Shepard laughed lightly, giving the asari a cheeky grin. "So what did you have in mind for us from now onwards?"

"Well, I hadn't planned on saying that, or on you hearing it. To be honest, I'd been waiting for you to do something since I had no idea how you felt. Ashley thought you were probably feeling rather conflicted, alliance regulations, and me being on your ship. Plus, you never seemed to notice me, and I was afraid you'd just turn me away if-"

"Liara."

She stopped dead as Shepard firmly spoke her name, once again looking back to her green eyes. "Yes, Shepard."

"You're rambling, and you are going to have to start calling me Jane when it's just us." Shepard laughed, trying to get Liara to calm down. "How about I take you out to lunch the next time we're docked at the Citadel, my treat?"

Liara looked at Jane for a moment before she moved to answer, unfortunately, Joker beat her to it. _"Commander, I have Admiral Hackett on the line for you, if you can speak to him."_

"God damn it." Shepard muttered under her breath, before giving Liara and apologetic look. "You have the worst timing in the galaxy Joker."

"_Sorry Ma'am, Doctor Chakwas just informed me you were awake when I inquired, and I thought you would want to speak to the admiral." Joker replied._

"Put him through." Shepard responded begrudgingly.

"_Shepard, I just wanted to thank you for your good work on Solcrum."_ The admiral boomed through the comm.

"I don't know what you're talking about Admiral." Shepard stated calmly as she watched Liara looking around the room absent-mindedly. "The Normandy has been patrolling the Dis System for the last few hours, Sir, I believe we were sighted on route?"

"_Very well Shepard, then you should know that we have managed to reclaim our two lost research posts in the Armstrong Nebula, and that we have discovered a new crater on one of the moons in the Grissom System." Hackett replied calmly. "In fact, it seems the geth presence previously reported was greatly exaggerated."_

"That's good to hear Admiral, I'm glad that the assistance of my team wasn't required." Shepard replied as Liara curled up her chair, resting her head on Shepard's rather cold, bed. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me, Sir?"

"_Captain Anderson asked me to inform you that there has been a single geth ship sighted in the Pax System. It just dropped out of FTL, destroyed a single ship, and jumped back out again."_

"Thankyou Sir, we'll look into it."

"_Good luck Commander. I need to go smooth all of this over with the Alliance, although I do expect you to send a classified report to me though."_ The admiral stated.

"Will do Sir." Shepard managed to quickly respond before the channel beeped closed. "Now, about that lunch, if you want, we could-"

"Lunch would be lovely." Liara purred, not moving her head from the claimed section of the bed.

Shepard just smiled in response, even if Liara couldn't see, as she settled back down to sleep and recover. "Joker, could you set a course to the Pax System please?"

"_Aye Commander, get well soon."_ Joker replied patronizingly.

* * *

After a rather sound nights sleep, Shepard hadn't been surprised to find out Liara had moved to her bed at some point after Shepard had fallen asleep. Surprisingly, Chakwas had cleared her to return to duty immediately, only incising the Commander ate a sensible breakfast. Shepard sat herself opposite Ash, surprised she was up so early since the day shift didn't start for another two hours, with a large plate of eggs and a glass of orange juice, hot coffee just hadn't seemed like an appealing idea.

Ash couldn't help herself after Shepard had sat down opposite her. "Okay, what happened, I haven't seen you this happy since... ever actually, even when you got the spectre title. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you got laid last night." Ash quickly took a sip of coffee to hide her smirk at the look of surprise on Shepard face.

"Not exactly, _Chief, _Liara and me did actually manage to move forwards a bit though?" Shepard managed to respond, deciding there were benefits to running a tighter ship. "If I catch you gossiping chief..."

"My lips are sealed Ma'am, so what happened!?" Ash answered, her eagerness betraying any hope of appearing professional.

"Well, by the time they got me to the medbay I was unconscious, next thing I know I'm in a bed with Liara perched next to me looking... I dunno, she's adorable when she's thinking." Shepard muttered, slowly drifting off.

"Okay, back to what we were actually talking about, what happened!" Ash urged.

"Well, she just started talking, from the sounds of it she just needed to sort her head out, and I couldn't help but say how I felt. Next thing I knew, I was asking her out to lunch." Shepard mumbled as she neared the end, feeling herself turn a bright shade of red.

"Aww, look at you. Anyone would think you're back in high school." Ash laughed, "Hard to believe the first human spectre can get embarrassed over asking a girl out."

"We've all got our weaknesses Chief, but this is hardly as simple as the last guy you grabbed on a layover." Shepard couldn't but chuckle to her self a little. "She's another species."

Ash wasn't going to bite, but she certainly wasn't going to let that pass by unnoticed. "If you're planning on just having some fun, and than dumping her by-"

"Stop right there Chief." Shepard snapped. "I have no intention of this being a fling, you should know that, you're the one that's been encouraging her."

"All the more reason for me to make sure-" Ash stopped mid sentence at the sight of Shepard grinning. "What is so funny!?"

"Well, the human marine that was giving Liara a hard time for being an alien, seems to have become her big sister." Shepard replied, stifling a laugh.

"So not true..." Ash stated defensively, "she's eighty years older than me."

"Then why am I getting the same warning I'm sure you give everyone your sisters go out with?"

"N-Not everyone." Ash stuttered before quickly going back to her breakfast.

"Well it's good to know you can see past someone's species, I just hope you're not kissing Garrus without orders." Shepard teased.

"No Ma'am" Ash laughed, "If you'll excuse me, I promised Liara a shooting lesson before my shift starts."

"Of course, how much is she improving?" Shepard asked curiously.

"She could rival Kaidan and me with a pistol, Ma'am." Ash replied before she walked off towards the elevator to the cargo bay.

Shepard looked down at her half-finished breakfast before looking after the the Chief, "Hold up Ash, you've got an observer."

* * *

With most of the crew still asleep, Ash had completely taken over the cargo bay. Containers had been scattered around the room providing cover for various targets that had been set up. After Shepard had said she was joining, Ash had decided to give Liara and extra challenge in addition to the targets simply moving in and out of cover. Several of the simple drones were equipped with weapons to fire training round, incapable of penetrating a barrier or armor, but would prove effective in teaching Liara to effectively use cover.

With the last setting adjustments made to the drones and a kinetic barrier separating the lift and engineering access from the rest of the cargo bay, Ash walked over to Liara attacking the last of her armor plates. "Aims are simple, disable all the drones, don't get shot too much." Ash attacked a sensor to the back of Liara's armor, "That will track any shots that make contact with you or your barriers, one head shot or three to the torso and you're out. I'm also going to say you can use biotics if you want to, Shepard's watching, and I'm sure you'd appreciate the chance to show her what you can do."

Liara couldn't help but glance over to Shepard sat on the top of the Mako, grateful the helmet was hiding the blush in her cheeks. "Sounds simple enough, just wish it was that easy."

"You'll do fine." Ash offered, maneuvering Liara towards a pile of crates she'd set up for an initial position. "You've got five seconds, then I'll activate the drones."

Liara nodded, settling herself in behind the crates, pistol in hand. "These things are safe, right?"

"Perfectly, just relax." Liara nodded to Ash at her statement, exhaling to relax. "Right, five seconds from now." Ash said quickly backing away.

Liara just sat against the crates, trying to look round towards the drones, currently hiding themselves. 'You can do this, it's just a few drones.' The sensor on the back of her neck beeped, indicating the start of the session. Liara cautiously looked round the corner, as a single shot hit her shoulder. She quickly fell back into cover just before two more shots flew past into the barrier behind her. 'You can do this, they're just drones.'

Liara pushed herself back out from behind cover, moving far quicker, firing shots towards the drones that had shot at her. One fell to the ground, sparking, as Liara reached the pile of crates she was running for. A volley of shots hit the area around her, impacting the crates and barrier again. The shots started coming in a steady stream, effectively pinning her in position. She quickly emptied the clip, firing blindly around the crates, leaving the pistol wining as it over heated.

She quickly replaced the clip, before pulling back from cover. With a hand wreathed in blue energy, the crates she had hidden behind flew across the cargo bay, shattering against another cluster on the far side of the cargo bay, crushing two drones that had been behind them. Scrambling for some cover behind a single crate on the floor, she fired rapidly, taking out another drone, leaving only two, both out of view, both armed. No idea where the next attack would come from, she had no choice. Liara poked her head over the top of the crate in time to see a round being fired from behind the Mako, impacting on the crate right in front of her. She quickly dropped back to the ground before a second round fired through the air that her head had been occupying. Leaning around the crate, Liara threw a singularity to between and behind where the two shots had come from. She ducked back into cover to wait for it to form, before she rose out from behind the crate, bathed in blue light. She stepped around the obstacle as the two drone hung in the singularity field bumping into each other as they drifted. Liara swung her arms towards them as the biotic energy around her rushed towards her hands, releasing towards the drones in a warp field.

The singularity detonated as the warp passed over the drones, detonating to scatter the twisted components of the drones across the cargo bay. Shepard flinched as a fragment flew towards her head, grateful she'd picked up a shield generator as the barrier deflected the piece of twisted metal. She quickly slid down from the Mako's roof looking at the considerable mess Liara had managed to make within a few minutes, unable to do anything buy grin as she approached the asari. "You're just an adorable little bundle of destruction aren't you?"

Liara couldn't help but blush, grateful that the helmet hid most of her face, although a thin smile was clear. "Chief Williams is a good teacher."

"Ye, but she's not a biotics, and I'm not sure she could destroy quite this much, as quickly, without grenades."

Liara glanced back over her shoulder towards Ash, finding the marine to be staring slack-jawed at the destroyed crates and scattered contents. "I should probably give her a hand clearing up."

"Probably, but I need to correct a mistake first. We're headed to a human research colony where there has been a geth sighting. The colony hasn't gone silent, so we aren't expecting any serious fighting, but I would like you on the ground team, if you want to come?" Shepard asked, looking a little unsure of herself after questioning her own decision.

"I'm not sure it was a mistake at the time, but I'd like to come now." Liara replied sweetly before running off towards Ash, throwing a couple of singularities out to help puck up the large mess on the floor.

* * *

**A/N:** Now for the bad news, with a major game release tomorrow, I'll probably be as slow, if not slower, at getting the next chapter out.


	12. Money and Ice

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, hopefully the next chapter will be done in a few days.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Money and Ice**

"Approach control, this is the SSV Normandy, requesting an approach vector and a berth." Joker said down the comm, gently pushing the Normandy own out of orbit.

"_Normandy, your approach is not scheduled. Our defense grid is armed and tracking your approach. State your business." _a crisp, calm and incredibly annoying voice replied.

"Citadel business, we've got a Council Spectre aboard." Joker answered sounding incredibly bored for someone being told a network of guns was being aimed at his ship.

"_Landing access granted, Normandy. Transmitting docking information to you now." _The control worker stated. _"Be advised, we will be confirming identification on arrival. If confirmation cannot be established, your vessel will be impounded."_

"What a fun bunch, I think I'll take my next leave her." Joker jested. "Just don't shoot that guy, I want to be able to talk to him if he impounds my ship."

"Not planning on shooting anyone Joker." Shepard scolded from behind the pilot as the ship dropped through the layers of cloud.

"Sure, that's why you walk around in armor with an arsenal on your back." Joker laughed.

Shepard just turned and left the cockpit while she rolled her eyes at the pilot, heading towards the CIC and her awaiting team. "Doesn't sound like they're too pleased to see us, so so best behaviour." Shepard paused to look at the large group in front of her waiting for a response. "Understood?"

"Aye-Aye ma'am." Ash and Kaidan quickly replied, while Liara, Garrus and Tali just nodded. Wrex however just grunted, not leaving Shepard entirely happy, but somehow she felt the physically intimidating krogan might help her make her point if any company policy got in her way.

With the ship securely docked, the seven of them confidently left the airlock heading straight towards the lobby that served the private colony. Garrus however couldn't let the opportunity pass. "Any chance of not sending us all into the lair of a giant sentient alien plant this time Shepard?"

Shepard couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll see what I can... do..." She trailed off as at least ten humans in hard suits filed out of the doors at the end of the walkway, before they took up a defensive posture with one woman standing firm between the humans and Shepard's team.

Shepard quickened her pace towards the human blocking her path before they raised a hand and shouted, "That's far enough! This in unscheduled landing, I need to see your credentials before you can be granted access to the colony."

"Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, _Council Spectre_." Shepard responded, emphasising '_Spectre'_ as much as she could.

Before the woman in charge of the security team could respond, one of the officers behind her interrupted, "Load of horse crap, ma'am."

Shepard glanced at the loud mouthed officer for a second, deciding Wrex was probably staring at the officer from the sudden change in the officers face before the commanding officer responded. "We will need to confirm that. Also I must advice you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria." She looked to the officer behind her that had interrupted, "Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons."

The officer hadn't even managed to finish saying 'secure' before she heard the noise of weapons arming themselves from Shepard's team. She looked back to find three assault rifles and two shotguns pointed at her team, as well as two biotics surrounded by energy.

"Don't even try it!" Wrex threatened from just beside Shepard.

"You've got no authority to take my weapon," Shepard stated, "and docking control certainly haven't done anything to make us feel welcome."

The security officer just straitened up, clasping her hands behind her back. "Charge and lock! We are authorized to use lethal force, you have until the count of three." She shifted, looking uncomfortable at the array of weapons pointed at her team. Once no one moved to relinquish their weapon, she counted to three.

Just before she could order the security officers to fire, a voice interrupted her over the dock's PA. _"Captain Matsuo, stand down. We have confirmed their identities. Spectres are authorized to carry weapons here, Captain."_

The Captain sighed in relief, "You may proceed, Spectre. Hopefully the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you inside"

Shepard led her group past the Captain and her team into the ports lobby, but couldn't resist muttering "Not very likely" under her breath. Unsurprisingly, the entire structure appeared to be covered in neutral looking stone, leaving an atmosphere that let radiated zero warmth. Given that it was built into the side of a mountain, and a blizzard was raging outside, cold was an understatement.

They barely made it up the first flight of stairs before alarms stared to sound around them. Shepard just placed her face in a palm, deciding that resisting the temptation to shoot everyone managing the colony was likely to be the hardest mission she had been on to date.

A tall woman behind a desk beside them shouted over the alarms, "Weapons detectors, please don't mind the alarms." before she managed to deactivate them. "I am Gianna Parasini, assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We're sorry for the incident in the docking bay, we don't usually have visits from spectres."

"Thanks for getting us through, but you might want your security chief to know that it's a bad idea to try and take a spectre's weapon." Shepard states as she leaned on the desk.

"You understand she was only doing her job of course." Gianna offered. "I have been asked to try to expedite your stay here as much as possible. Do you have any questions?"

"Has anyone unusual passed through here recently? Probably around the same time the geth attack on that ship was reported."

Gianna looked down to a display built into the desk, flicking through logs from the colony. "Unusual? Well the only thing that stands out is an asari matriarch from a few days ago, a Lady Benezia."

"She-she's here?" Liara stammered, the conversation abruptly catching her attention when she heard her mothers name.

"Can we speak with her?" Shepard asked quickly.

"I'm afraid she left almost immediately for the peak fifteen research complex. According to the logs, she's still there." Gianna replied, not looking up from the display. "If you plan on traveling there, you'll need clearance from Administrator Anoleis to leave this port, his office is up the elevator round the corner, and then to the left."

"Thanks, don't suppose security's any lighter up there is it?" Shepard asked, doing her best not to look like she was going to cause trouble.

"The board does everything it can to protect the privacy of its clients." Gianna replied sounding incredibly rehearsed.

"I'm not going to be worrying about stepping on toes of anyone tries to interrupt with my investigation." Shepard stated bluntly, not even blinking as she glared at Parasini.

"I suggest you watch which toes you step on, the board can bury you in litigation." She glanced over to the now pale looking asari behind Shepard. "You'd need an asari lawyer to see the case through."

"Understood, if there's nothing else?" Shepard asked, pushing herself back from the reception desk.

"By all means, if you need anything, I'll be at the Administrator's office." Gianna said before disappearing into a corridor behind the desk.

Shepard walked off towards the elevators, waving for the team to follow her. It was only once She had walked into an open elevator and turned around that she noticed the pale look on Liara face as she followed Shepard in. Before anyone else had chance to enter, she pressed the button to close the doors. "Catch the next one guys, we just need a minute." Ash just stared between the doors with a look of disbelief as they shut everyone out.

Liara looked up at Shepard shyly. "I thought you might want to talk to me after we found out my mother was here."

"No, I don't need to." Shepard softly replied, placing a hand on Liara's shoulder. "I've already told you that I trust you. That hasn't changed, or you wouldn't be here."

Liara smiled as she placed a hand on top of Shepard's. "Thank you, Jane."

Shepard returned the smile before she pulled Liara in for a gently hug, cursing when the doors opened into what appeared to be the main floor of the port. "Come on, we need to move before the elevator decided to go back down to the others." The two quickly filed out into the large public space, snow buffeting against the giant windows looking out from the mountain towards the neighboring peaks.

They quickly found the Administrators' office, with Gianna, true to her word, sitting at her desk strait in from the door. She stood up as she saw the door into the office open. Shepard, how may I help you?"

"I'd like to speak to Anoleis, please." Shepard replied, already getting bored of the colony's bureaucracy.

"One moment." Gianna said as she tapped a button on her desk. "Mr Anoleis?"

"_Yes. What? What!?"_ A voice rapidly replied through the comm.

"Commander Shepard would like to see you sir."

"_Right, fine. Come in."_

Gianna gestured towards the wall immediately behind her desk. "Just through the door behind the partition."

"Thanks" Shepard muttered as she led Liara through to the administrators office.

The office had no more in the way of furnishings than the rest of the colony. A desk was visible again in front of the door, with a table and several chairs to the side, all looking like standard supplies. The only oddity was a combat drone hovering in front of the windows shielding them from the force of the blizzard.

The single occupant of the office, a salarian, did nothing to help make the cold room any more welcoming. "Please excuse me if I don't stand, I don't have the time to entertain space born vagabonds."

"Cut the crap, I'm here as a Spectre. Noveria might not be part of Citadel space, but your administrative board granted us extraterritorial privileges." Shepard stated, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"This meeting is a courtesy, I will only cooperate as far as the executive board requires me to." Anoleis stated, still not having looked up from his terminal since Shepard and Liara had walked in. "Businesses come here to avoid the second guessing of galactic law."

"Well I am the second guessing of galactic law, and the sooner I finish my business here, the less time I'll have to poke about in what those companies have come here to do." Shepard threatened.

"Very well, ask your questions quickly." He answered, still not looking up at Shepard.

"Does the ex Spectre Saren have any involvement with any of the companies on Noveria."

"I cannot divulge information about any links the companies may, or may not, have to individuals in the galaxy. It would violate seventeen sections of the Executive Board's privacy policy."

Shepard suppressed a growl in her throat before it became audible and turned back to Liara. She gave the asari a single nod of her head towards the windows before turning back to look at the administrator.

Anoleis looked up from the desk towards the windows at the side of the room as he heard an explosion, justy in time to watch the remaining fragments of his security drone fall to the ground. He looked forward towards the spectre in time to see their hands land on his desk, placing their face an inch from his own, they looked furious cast in shadow from the glow of biotics originating from somewhere behind them.

"What is Saren's link to Peak Fifteen?" Shepard's voice dripped with the non verbalized threat.

"Th-The facility if being rented by Binary Helix Corporation. Spectre S-Saren is a major share holder." The salarian stuttered.

"And why is Matriarch Benezia there?"

"She came here as Spectre S-Saren's executor, she's here on business for Binary Helix to deal with issues at Peak Fifteen that required more direct oversight. She and her personal escort were bringing in cargo to deal with the problem. I don't have any more information than that, we lost all contact with the facility when road access was cut off several days ago."

"Road access?" Shepard asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Cut off, I said. The blizzard makes it impossible for any of our vehicles to traverse the mountain until the roads have been cleared."

"What was her cargo?"

"Large, heavy and sealed. It passed weapons screening, beyond that, It's not our business." The administrator replied, finding some of his confidence again.

"Fine. I'll go, for now." Shepard stated, pushing herself away from his desk and starting towards the door.

"Good, I received twelve urgent messages while you dithered about." Anoleis complained, back to his normal arrogant tone of voice.

Shepard stormed through Parasini's office towards the door back into the common area before a voice startled her. "You've never worked in the corporate world, have you commander. You can't just bludgeon your way through bureaucracy."

"So I can see." Shepard sighed. "I don't suppose you can suggest an alternative?"

Gianna quickly glanced around her office, before she leant uncomfortably close to Shepard across her desk to whisper in her ear. "Talk to Lorik Qui'in, you can probably find him at the hotel bar, he'll be the turian sat on his own. I can't say any more, not in earshot of Mr Anoleis."

Shepard nodded her thanks before walk out of the office, finding herself face to face with a rather annoyed looking Ashley. "Was that really necessary, Shepard?"

Shepard glanced over to Liara that had stepped up beside her, giving Ash a slightly upset look, but at least the colour had returned to her face. "You really think I should have discussed Liara's mother being here in front of the entire team, Ash? I trust her, but do you think someone like Wrex wouldn't voice concerns about Benezia?"

Ash looked from Shepard to Liara, looking rather guilty. "Sorry Blue. Did you get anywhere with the Administrator, Shepard?"

"Not really, but we do have a lead to chase down. We should head to the bar. Any idea where the rest of the team is?"

"The hotel bar, Wrex saw the word 'bar' and there was no stopping him." Ash laughed lightly, still looking a little guilty.

The hotel proved easy to find, with it being one of only a few facilities operating in Port Hanshan. Unsurprisingly, given the sparsity of people in the port, there were only two turians in the bar, one of which was busy trying to stop the bartender from selling Wrex a whole bottle, which thankfully wasn't ryncol. Ignoring the crew for the time being though, Shepard walked strait over to the other turian, sitting on his own with a large cluster of empty glasses sat in front of him, as well as several plates.

Shepard stopped beside the table, leaning lightly on a chair while Liara and Ash disappeared over to the rest of the team at the bar. "Are you Lorik Qui'in?"

"You're the Spectre that just arrived are you not? Please, sit down and have a drink. What can I do for you?" The tuian asked eagerly.

Shepard pulled a seat out opposite the turian, turning away the glass he offered her, not sure if it would be safe for her to drink, even if she wasn't on duty. "I need to get to peak fifteen, and I was told you might be able to help me get access to the garage."

"You need a pass. How fortuitous." Lorik smiled, "I'm the manager for the local Synthetic insights office. For the moment at least. Mr Anoleis has shut down my office, and is currently searching for anything he can use to incriminate me. He claims he is investigating reports of my corruption. The Administrator is a fortunate man, it seems that since he was given direct control of the company's rents, he has become quite wealthy."

"And you have proof in your office that he's got his fingers in the cookie jar." Shepard smirked.

"In the... he'd not stealing computer files, he's taking credits directly from each of the companies' payments. Noveria never even sees the credits they should be getting. I have files on the computer in my office that prove it. Unfortunately, he's hired a number of goons to ransack my office as we speak. I'll give you your pass, if you retrieve those files for me. I can assure you, Anoleis will do everything he can make sure you stay where he can watch you."

"Sounds easy enough, we have a deal. Did you have a plan for me to get in?"

"Violence may be necessary, but there is one problem. He also has several members of Elanus' security force here overseeing his goons. He's paying them under the table, and I don't believe Ms Matsuo approves of her staff freelancing, she's probably unaware of their outside employment."

"I'll try find a way around shooting them if I can, but they are crooked at the end of the day."

"Good to hear we have a deal, the offices have a private elevator from the main are outside." Lorik said, pointing towards the bar's exit. "I suggest you hurry before they have chance to find the files they're after. Here's my pass for the office, and this OSD will automatically download the files I need." He said, handing over two data chips.

Shepard nodded to the turian as she lifted herself to her feet and started over towards the bar. "Ash, Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex, we've got a job to do." She barked.

The six team members quickly spun around at her voice, but Garrus couldn't help himself. "Finally realized that was a different turian? I know humans are bad at telling aliens apart, but this must be a record."

"Nah, worked it out instantly, but he's just so much better to look at than you Garrus." Shepard laughed.

Garrus couldn't help but smirk, but Wrex was the next to say anything. "Just tell me we're going to shoot something."

"Hopefully not Wrex, but I want you with me for intimidation. We've got to get some information from an office that's being raided, and they shouldn't be stupid enough to try and fight a krogan." Wrex barked a laugh before Shepard turned to Liara and Tali. "Just wait here, we shouldn't be long." The two looked at each other, before back at Shepard, both agreeing reluctantly before Shepard led her team out of the bar.

* * *

The doors opened into the office space, with every person instantly turning to watch them across the partitions in the office. Shepard stepped out of the elevator, closely followed by the rest of her team until several of the port's security service stepped in front of them, blocking their access to the office's upper level.

"What are you doing here? This office has been closed by the port administrator."

Shepard glanced back at Wrex, finding the krogan grinning madly before she looked back to the security officer. "Lorik Qui'in asked us to do a little cleaning for him while the office was closed. He was also curious if you're boss knows where you are?"

The security officers looked between each other before they looked back at Shepard. "You didn't see us, we didn't see you." one of them stated, before leading them all back to the elevator Shepard had walked out of.

Before Shepard had chance to continue towards the stairs, several shots hit her in the back, knocking her forwards as her shields were overwhelmed. She dropped quickly to the ground, running a hand along the back of her armor, relieved to find it was still dry before she scrambled over to one of the office cubicles.

Wrex was laughing, as his shotgun blew holes in the screens concealing the mercenaries. Ash was firing towards the heads of any of the mercs that were trying to fire towards the team, leaving Kaidan throwing up barriers to protect them, given the weak strength of the cubicles. Garrus however had disappeared, not that the barrage of fire coming at them from every mercenary in the office was giving them time to investigate his disappearance.

Shepard pulled her shotgun off her back, and started firing towards the cover being used by the mercenaries. Despite them slowly thinning out the number of mercenaries, Kaidan's barriers were being strained by the incoming fire, forcing Wrex to start helping him to defend the team. Several of the mercenaries used the lull in fire to darting between clusters of cubicles, round towards the flank of Shepard's Team.

Shepard cursed, continuing to fire, but unable to get a line of sight on any of the enemy that had managed to start moving round to flank them, only able to prevent any more from trying to cross the gaps in cover. She looked back behind her towards the balcony at the top of the stairs, as she heard a single gunshot from somewhere above them. She looked back to the enemy in time to fire a blast, catching a mercenary in the arm, leaving him on the floor until Wrex blew their helmet apart with a shot.

Wrex quickly replaced the clip in his shotgun before he resumed firing, trying to hit the mercenaries currently flanking them until he empties the clip again. As if on cue, the first leant out from cover as Wrex's shotgun whined, aiming his assault rifle towards Kaidan, just visible past Wrex. The first burst of fire shredded Kaidan's barrier, leaving him exposed. Before he could fire again, the mercenary's helmet exploded as a single round passed through it and their skull. Before the body could even hit the ground another round fired down behind the cover the mercenary had used, before a third shot, each followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. The team looked up towards the balcony as a fourth shot came down, hitting another of the mercenaries dead on the ground.

Garrus leant back from the balcony, looking down at Shepard's team with a cocky grin as he popped the thermal clip and slammed in another. Several shots clipped the screen hiding the team, forcing them back to the fight, focussing on pinning their opponents in place, while Garrus efficiently killed them one at a time.

Once the last of the gunfire had stopped, Shepard swapped her shotgun for her assault rifle, before proceeding up the stairs where they had originally intended to go. At the top she was met with several bodies littering the floor, one of which seemed to have been shot with a high-powered rifle at close range, and a smirking Garrus. Shepard just ignored his smirk, marching strait past him towards the offices at the far end of the balcony.

Garrus gaped after her in surprise, "I don't even get a thank you for saving my sidekick's ass?"

Shepard paused, before she turned and started towards the turian, jabbing him in the chest as she approached him. "You leave us down there, with no idea where you're going, and you want a thank you? You can't just start off when the shooting starts to go fine your perch, leaving us open in the meantime. If you'd been half a second later, and there would be a half-dozen holes in Kaidan's chest."

"I saw an opportunity, and I took it." Garrus stated.

"You gambled with our lives, and very nearly lost." Shepard retorted. "I seem to remember we had the conversation already, after you nearly shot a doctor in the head. You don't gamble with lives!" Shepard screamed, shoving the turian back onto a bench that ran along the edge of the balcony behind him before she stormed off.

Garrus sat stunned on the bench as the rest of the team walked past, looking over to Ash as she walked past him. "What was that about?"

Ash shook her head, rolling her eyes in disbelief as she muttering something that sounded like "Men." as she left Garrus sat on the bench.

* * *

The OSD quickly completed it's download once Shepard inserted it in the terminal. With the data collected, they started back towards where they had left Garrus. Shepard stepped out of the office, instantly spotting Garrus at the other end of the balcony, with a security officer pointing a shotgun at his head.

"Made some new friends Garrus?" Shepard laughed as she walked towards the heavily armed group.

"You know how it is, Shepard. You humans all seem to want to shoot everything." Garrus replied, doing everything he could to look bored.

"That's far enough!" Sergeant Stirling commanded, lifting her assault rifle to casually aim at Shepard. "I don't think you're supposed to in here, Shepard."

"I'm fairly sure that I'm allowed to go where ever I want." Shepard stated, crossing her arms. "You were in the team that met me at the dock, if I'm not mistaken."

"Sergeant Kaina Stirling, Elanus Risk Control Services." The woman spat. "Anoleis would have you thrown off world for what you've done here. I won't, I've never liked cop killers."

"You're going to call those mercenaries Anoleis hired cops? The only cops here scurried away after we turned up."

"That's not what my report's going to show. Most people don't resort to shooting people in the back."

Shepard stepped to her side, positioning herself directly in front of Kaidan as she moved her hands back to the pit of her back. "I don't know how I didn't flag you as crooked from the moment I met you."

"Hands where I can see them, Spectre." Stirling ordered, tightening the grip on her assault rifle.

Garrus flinched as a wave of blue light flew towards him, throwing him back over the hand rail behind the bench, finding himself entering free-fall towards the stone floor below. The shotgun that had been pointed directly at his head, barely missed him as it fired, leaving a gaping hole in the back of the seat. The mercenary that had been holding the shotgun collapsed into the bench beside the hole as another was blasted in their chest by Wrex's shotgun. Ash and Shepard's assault rifles quickly cut down two of security officers still standing, leaving only Stirling who dashed into cover behind a large pillar as soon as the fire started.

Shepard gestured to everyone else to lower their weapons as she slowly approached the Sergeant. "You know, I don't like criminals. I don't like dirty cops. I really don't like murderers."

Shepard slipped a grenade off her belt and threw it around one side of the pillar before she aimed her assault rifle around the opposite. Stirling ran out from behind the pillar, strait towards the staircase to the lower level, coming under fire as Shepard pulled the trigger, firing the assault rifle on full auto until the thermal clip overheated. The officer had collapsed to the ground, looking back towards the grenade in alarm as Shepard slipped back behind the pillar with a smug grin on her face before the grenade detonated.

Shepard stepped round from behind the pillar ordering the team to follow her as she walked towards the stairway, taking care not to touch the bloody body on the floor as she stepped over it. They quickly descended the stairs, finding Garrus sitting on the stone floor nursing an injured leg.

"You couldn't give me a gentler landing Kaidan, or at least a warning?" Garrus moaned as he struggling to his feet.

"Sorry Garrus, I didn't want to give the man holding the shotgun to your head a chance to remove it." Kaidan replied, giving the turian a friendly smirk. "Next time I'll find you a bouncy castle."

"What's a bouncy castle?" Garrus asked looking around in confusion. "I'm going to head back to the ship. I think I could do with a visit to the medbay."

"Come on, I'll give you a hand." Shepard offered, putting an arm around Garrus's back.

The group, including Garrus being held up by both Shepard, and now Ash, moved strait out of the office taking the elevator back towards the main area of Port Hanshan. One the doors opened, Shepard walked out and round the corner, coming face to face with Gianna.

"Commander, we got reports of loud noise coming from the Synthetic Insights office. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you?"

Shepard looked over to Garrus and Ash, noting the weapons Kaidan and Wrex were still holding, before she looked back to Gianna. "Are you really going to make me answer that?"

"Very well, Spectre. Then please allow me to re introduce myself. Gianna Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs."

"Ash, get Garrus back to the ship, then meet me in the bar." Shepard ordered as she removed her arm from Garrus's back before turning back to Gianna. "And why exactly are you interested in me?"

"I need that data you just recovered, and Lorik Qui'in's testimony. The Executive board knows about Anoleis' corruption. I've been undercover here for six months, try to get the evidence I need to have him convicted. With Lorik's data, this planet can finally run profitably again." Gianna stated as Garrus hobbled off towards the docks with Ash.

"I've got my own mission to do here, where exactly do I come into this?" Shepard asked.

"I need you to convince Qui'in. I'm Anoleis' assistant, I doubt he'll believe anything I could say to him. Convince him to testify, and I'll see to it you get everything you need, and I'll stow owe you a favour." Gianna answered.

"Okay, get me a garage key, and I'll talk to Qui'in."

"Right away, Shepard." Gianna answered before smiling as she walked away.

"Okay... Bar anyone?" Shepard asked as she followed Gianna towards the port's common area.

"Good, I need a drink." Wrex growled.

By the time they got there, the bar was still as empty as it had been earlier. Shepard walked in, heading strait towards Lorik's table. She couldn't however miss a pair of bright blue eyes following her from the bar. Shepard gave Liara a smile, watching as the asari returned it before she sat down opposite Lorik.

"Ah, Shepard. Always a pleasure. Do you have any news for me?" Lorik asked eagerly.

"I have the information, but-"

"Excellent, consider my garage pass yours." Lorik interrupted looking overjoyed.

"But, there is an internal affairs officer that would like you to use it to testify against Anoleis." Shepard continued.

"So now you have my property you want to dictate how I use it? I have no interest in a public spectacle." He replied, the tone of his voice souring.

"You take this data away, what is there to stop Anoleis from continuing to extort money out of everyone. What stops him from simply sending another raid against you. Everyone on this planet is having their purses squeezed, you can stop that."

Lorik sighed, "All right, it is obvious I cannot dissuade you. Speak to your contact and tell them I'll cooperate. They can meet me here when they're ready."

* * *

"I still don't get why Shepard was annoyed at me for going up to the balcony." Garrus complained as Ash helped him through the gangway.

"And there I was hoping you wouldn't be completely stupid. What's different about this mission Garrus?" Ash asked angrily.

"Err... It's cold?" Garrus shrugged, regretting it as his weight shifted back to his injured leg.

"T'Soni's on it." Ash stated matter of factly. "Not to mention she's worried about Benezia being on this planet."

"So how does this come back to be being on a balcony?" Garrus asked sounding completely lost.

"What do you think Shepard thinks when she sees you gambling and leaving members of her team exposed?"

"It could have been Liara." Garrus said slowly as it finally dawned on him.

"She's nothing if not protective." Ash stated, helping Garrus down the stairs to the crew deck.

* * *

"Shepard, where do we stand on our... arrangement?" Gianna asked giving Shepard a smile as Shepard and several of her crew walked into Gianna's office.

"I managed to convince him to testify. He's waiting for you in the hotel." Shepard replied

"Thank god." Gianna sighed. "You have no idea how much of a relief this is. I'll take the evidence for safe transport." she said holding a hand out for the OSD. "Never thought a Spectre would help me with a case. You're all right Shepard."

"Happy to help, but I do need that garage pass." the commander replied.

"Of course, I managed to organize one while you were talking to Lorik." Gianna stated, getting an ID card out of her desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an arrest to make. Feel free to hang around, I doubt he'll go easily."

The group stood around in the office until a very outraged scream of "What are you thinking Parsini, I'll see to it that you never work in this sector again."

Shepard looked over to Liara, who was looking a little distracted. "Probably a good thing you destroyed that drone of his."

Liara gave Shepard a happy smile, "I must admit, it was quite fun, even if he didn't give us everything we needed."

"Spectre! I demand that you shoot this bitch!" Anoleis screamed as Parasini dragged him across the floor of her office.

"I owe you one Shepard, hopefully we can bump into each other again some time." Parasini interjected, giving Shepard a wink as she continued to drag the salarian out of the door.

Ash stepped off of the elevator, instantly being met by high pitched screams and what sounded like begging. Betting that where there was noise, there was Shepard, she went strait to towards the source.

As she neared the doorway the screaming body of Anoleis was dragged out, followed by Shepard, Wrex, Tali, Kaidan and Liara. "Are we all get to find the Matriarch?"

"I think so, but I'm afraid you're staying here Ash. I need you to go smooth things over with Captain Matsuo, we did kill four of her officers, and they killed several more." Shepard replied, bracing herself for Ash's objection.

"Understood Skipper. There's only five seats in the Mako anyway." Ash replied.

"Right..." Shepard replied looking a little stunned. "Time for a Sunday drive."


	13. Peak Fifteen

**Chapter 12 -Peak Fifteen  
**

"Captain Matsuo?" Ash asked approaching the officer standing in the dock. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"

"You're part of the Spectre's team, right? What can I do to help?"

"I'm afraid I need to report that seven of your officers have been killed." Ash replied, sticking to her military tone. "Three were shot in the back by the other four, who then tried to frame us for their deaths. They were involved in raiding the Synthetic Insights office for Anoleis. He was trying to find evidence to discredit Lorik Qui'in."

"Which is why I had an internal affairs officer requesting the use of a cell?" Matsuo sighed. Ash nodded before she continued. "I'm going to guess Sergeant Stirling was involved?"

"She was leading the officers that Anoleis hired."

"Always told them that taking jobs on the side was a bad idea. I should start the paperwork and send condolences to their family. Please thank your commander for sending someone to tell me personally, and for saving me an investigation."

* * *

The Mako rocked as the blizzard outside buffered against the hull. Once they had entered the garage, they'd managed to easily move the Mako out of the cargo bay, and then exit onto Noveria's road system. Unfortunately, the blizzard had buried any sign of the tarmac hours, if not days ago. The roads we still marked by lights extending a metre above the surface, presumably intended to allow them to clear the roads after the weather calmed down. From the look of the road network, it was going to be a long drive, with Peak Fifteen being one of the furthest of the seventeen facilities from the port.

"I'm still not sure if I'd feel safer outside in the blizzard." Kaidan moaned as Mako landed after a bump in the road.

"I'd defiantly rather be out there. Krogan are far better suited to extreme atmosphere's than other species, but if Shepard drives us off that cliff..." Wrex grunted.

"There's nothing wrong with my driving!" Shepard insisted. "I don't know why you all keep complaining."

"I've certainly had far worse journeys travelling to dig sites from colonies. Therum was probably one of the worst." Liara offered quietly. Wrex opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as another bump in the road threw his hump into the roof of the vehicle, leaving Liara to amend her statement after a yelp of pain. "On second thoughts, Shepard, you're driving is terrible."

"Now I just feel like I'm being ganged up on." Shepard pouted before she burst out laughing.

"Shame Garrus isn't here, he could have given you a comparison between your driving and mine." Tali taunted.

"I was there too, your driving was anything but smooth." Shepard replied.

"Hardly my fault you weren't wearing a harness." Tali laughed. "You were barely even conscious anyway."

The Mako continued along the treacherous roads that weaved their way through the mountain range, with the only noise as the ongoing conversation from Kaidan in the gunner's seat, and Wrex, Tali and Liara in the rear discussing everything from Shepard's driving to what they hoped was for dinner that night.

After over an hour of driving, as the conversation dwindled, alarms lit up the HI in front of Shepard and Kaidan, indicating a missile launch. The three in the back seats, yelped in surprise as Shepard sped the Mako up.

"Who would be shooting missiles at us out here?" Kaidan asked, powering the Mako's weapons up.

"It could be turrets in place to maintain a lock down on Peak Fifteen if the emergency there is under quarantine. Or... Benezia could have brought geth here, and somehow fooled the scanners." Tali offered from the back seat, her hands squeezing her harness firmly as the Mako skidded round a corner, dangerously close to falling over the edge.

The tires span across the ice, as the rover struggled to regain its grip on the snow and continued along the road. The missile impacted harmlessly behind them before another turret directly ahead of them fired a missile straight towards them along a straight section of the road. The main cannon on the Mako fired at the turret, leaving only a flaming wreck at a far corner, the missile still flying through the air towards them.

Kaidan sank back into his seat as the missile loomed closer. "Shepard...!"

The Mako's thrusters fired at the last possible moment, hopping the vehicle over the missile, barely, before landing on the ground. The missile flew harmlessly into the side of the mountain, while the Mako continued along the road towards the facility.

Several more turrets fired at the Mako, clearly designed to target shuttles rather than ground vehicles which produced far less heat for the missiles to target. Shepard managed to evade each attack, with several more close calls with the edge of the cliff, while Kaidan rendered the turrets inoperable, or just destroyed them completely. When they finally pulled up to the small garage at Peak Fifteen, the doors refused to open. With no other option, three of the five fixed on their breather helmets, while Tali was already in her suit, and Wrex able to withstand the temperatures before they filed out of the vehicle towards what appeared to be an access door besides the garage door. The HI however, refused to even light up as they approached it.

"Any chance you can get it open, Tali?" Shepard asked, trying to pull the cover off the HI

"I don't see how, there's absolutely no power to the door. I would guess every generator linked to the facility is offline." Tali replied.

"Then what's powering those turrets?"

"Separate system, cut off after we destroyed the turrets, either way, I can't open this thing." Tali stated closing her Omni-tool down.

"Out of the way." Wrex barked as he pushed his way towards the door. The krogan tore the door open, leaving each section wedge into their housing after they had buckled under the force. Wrex was the first through, not waiting for anyone to say anything before commenting. "I'm not doing that for every door we come across."

The garage lacked any light source, and any emergency lights installed in the facility appeared to be dead. The only light in the large open space came from the open doorway behind them, hiding everything within in darkness. Five omni-tools lit up, casting beams of light across the frozen floor. The light reflected off a layer of frost that had formed on the every surface in the garage, making the space feel cold and lifeless.

"Can't be any warmer in here than it is outside." Shepard complained, pulling her assault rifle off her back.

"I think it might actually be a few degrees colder." Liara shivered. "What's the rifle for?"

"We've got no power, they said there was some sort of emergency, and we have no idea what research they were doing here. I'm not getting jumped by the abominable snowman."

"The abominable what?" Liara asked as Shepard as everyone started to fan out through the room to search for another door.

"It's a rumored creature that supposedly lives in a specific mountain region on earth, but it's never been proven, even with shuttles." Kaidan offered as they followed Shepard, their lights running over the silent machinery and several inactive vehicles.

"Do humans have a lot of these... creatures?" Liara asked curiously.

"No, not a lot... well not any more." Shepard responded moving her light across a wall looking for an exit into the main facility. "Go back a few centuries though, and there were hundreds. In fact, the further back you go, the more of them people believed in."

"How many of these creatures do humans still believe in?" The Doctor asked, completely abandoning her search of the room.

"We don't all believe in them, but can we focus on where we are, please Liara. I'll spend all the time you want later going through whatever you can find on the extranet." Shepard responded.

"Of course, Shepard." Liara replied, sounding a little excited.

"Now, I want Benezia alive, if possible. We know practically nothing about what Saren is planning." Shepard ordered. "And no one is to kill Benezia under any conditions, where Liara can see."

"Why not?" Wrex growled, "She knows what we do, just because she's not killed a sentient person yet shouldn't mean we should hold any blows if we have to."

"Liara is Benezia's daughter you big stupid tank. You are not killing her mother in front of her in _any_ circumstance. Do you hear me Wrex?" Shepard shouted, only to be met by the sound of Wrex charging somewhere near by. Panicking, Shepard shouted "Liara, barriers up, now!" as she sprinted in the direction she thought she could hear Wrex.

Wrex stopped as he came out from behind a forklift, spotting the faint glow of a biotic barrier. He charged head long towards the glow across the garage. As he passed a pile of crates, motion to the side caught his attention. Not stopping, Wrex turned his head in time to see a human ram into him shoulder first. Wrex staggered into a container behind him as Shepard knocked him off balance, while Shepard rolled across the floor, ending up on her feet several metres away from Wrex.

"What are you doing Wrex!?"

"I'm not working with the daughter of someone working with Saren. Just because you're trying to get her in your bed doesn't mean I have to trust her." Wrex spat before turning back towards Liara, pulling out his shotgun.

Shepard ran at Wrex, slamming the butt of her rifle into the side of his head to keep the krogan's attention. "I'm in command here, Wrex. You do as I order."

Wrex's shotgun fired in his surprise, hitting machinery beside them, before Wrex turned back and growled at Shepard, swiping his arm through the air, trying to hit her with the heavy armor on his forearm. Shepard managed to duck in time to dodge the blow, looking back up just as Tali and Kaidan appeared around the corner, guns raised towards Wrex. Shepard managed to wave a hand to order them both not to shoot, while rolling back to dodge a knee aimed at her face. Rising back up, Shepard planted both hands clasped together into Wrex's exposed throat, sending the krogan backwards in pain.

"What is this about Wrex, she's done nothing to you" Shepard panted.

"I'm not a fool Shepard. I'm not going to stand here and give our enemy the chance to shoot me in the back." Wrex weazed. "For all I know, our innocent _friend_ over there is just playing the part to man-"

A heavy blow to the plate on the top of Wrex's head caught the krogan off guard, not expecting even Shepard to try punching him in the head. He had to admit, the human packed a punch. "Don't say one more word Wrex." Shepard snarled. "Liara is _not_ our enemy. She's on our team, she's fought beside us-"

"And then you banned her from missions. Tell me Shepard, if you didn't think she should be fighting along side you, why should I let her fight alongside me?" Wrex interrupted.

"That's not because I didn't trust her, Wrex. I didn't trust me." Shepard screamed, letting her guard down as she looked over at the Asari still standing off in the corner. "I was over protective of her, and I made rash decisions. I was in the wrong, not her!"

Wrex stared at Shepard for a minute, not even blinking until he glanced back to Liara. "Have it your way Shepard, but if she betrays us, I'm killing her, then you!" Wrex stated before shoving his way past Shepard.

Liara let the barrier she had thrown up fade as she walked over to Shepard, watching Wrex disappear into the darkness and Kaidan and Tali go back to trying to find a door. "Are you okay Jane?" She asked, worry filling her voice.

"Ye, he didn't even touch me. Krogan might be tough, but they're certainly not quick to react." Shepard replied, nursing her shoulder. "Thick heads though."

"Should I keep my distance from Wrex, or is that likely to make the problem worse?" Liara asked nervously.

"I'll keep him in line, just not going to be hitting him with my shoulder again." Shepard replied as she stretched the joint.

The sound of tearing metal came from the direction Wrex had walked off in had everyone pointing their torches towards the wall, looking for the source. All four lights settled on Wrex tearing his way through a door until he managed to force it open. Wrex growled in frustration at the sight of another door on the other side of what appeared to be a decontamination chamber. The krogan charged into the opening, before a loud thud came out of the chamber, followed by a crash.

Everyone quickly gathered around the first doorway, peering through the destroyed door to find another destroyed door at the far end. Each section had bent clear of their track under the force, and were now laying on the ground with Wrex standing on top of them in triumph. Before anyone could say anything, a series of clicks and squeals came from behind them, lights scanning everything visible as fast as they could for the source.

"It's... probably just the metal in the structure cooling down after we opened the door." Tali offered, uncertainty filling her voice, after they had found nothing.

"Everything was already covered in ice, Tali. It's not going to get much colder." Shepard responded calmly, "Just keep your guard up, and remember, this site was sealed because of an emergency."

Everyone else quickly pulled out their weapons, suddenly far more nervous about the dark. "That's not very reassuring?" Liara stated, her voice wavering as she scanned the room. Liara followed as Shepard lead them into the corridor after the door, pausing as they passed two inactive turrets by the doors. "Why are they pointing the wrong way?"

"They had the building on lock-down. That means keeping everything in as well as out. Not going to work once you decide to cut the power thought." Wrex stated irritably from just behind Liara.

Liara swallowed in response, following Shepard along the dark corridor. Several rooms, and forced doors later, they entered the first room they had seen with windows. Glass lay scattered across the room, the Blizzard from outside roaring through the hole, slowly filling the room with ice. Shepard led the group in, pausing at a tapping from the corridor behind them. Every torch focused a large four-legged insect walking along the corridor following them.

"That has got to be the biggest bug I have ever seen." Shepard exclaimed.

"Not even close to the ones in that Cerberus lab, Shepard." Wrex laughed. "Should have been there."

Everyone else jumped back in surprise when Wrex's shotgun fired, leaving a hole in the floor, and a smear of the insect on the ground.

"Was that really necessary?" Shepard muttered as she walked off from the krogan to look around the room. Shepard looked up at a tapping from above her head, quickly looking around the ceiling for an air vent. "How big exactly were the bigger ones you saw?"

"Err... about half a metre high, had some sort of tendrils that it carried higher than that."Kaidan replied, looking slightly confused.

"And how many legs did they have?" Shepard asked, not looking away from the ceiling.

"Four..." Kaidan answered, still sounding confused. "Plus two arms, why?"

"Well, they had to come from somewhere. This place was closed because of an emergency we have no details about. And something considerably larger than that bug just ran above my head in an air duct." Shepard answered, smiling as she spotted an open vent.

"And you think Cerberus acquired them here, from Binary Helix?" Tali ventured.

"You tell me. You said their... operation... was more extensive than we knew." Shepard recounted as she walked towards the vent. "For all we know, Binary Helix is owned by Cerberus, or just sends them creatures to study. Why did the geth destroy exactly one ship? Could have been carrying something off world they didn't want to leave this planet." Shepard theorised before she reached up to the vent.

Before Shepard could lift herself up, a large grey body came flying towards her out of the vent. Shepard quickly threw herself to the side before two tendrils, ending in what appeared to be sharp spikes, whipped through the air where she had been standing. Shepard reached around behind her for her shotgun, watching as the creature appeared to heave, before a shotgun blast from Wrex splattered the head of the creature against the wall, burning a hole through it.

"Heh, I forgot about the acid." Wrex laughed at the sight of Shepard on the floor, with the hole in the wall slowly expanding.

"Just glad I didn't get a face full." Shepard muttered, getting back up to her feet and brushing herself off. "I can assume that was what you saw on Binthu?"

"Little smaller, but yes." Kaidan answered as Wrex kicked the dead insect.

"At least we can start forming a theory on what happened here." Shepard muttered, pulling her shotgun out and starting towards a door at the far side of the room. "Stay clear of vents, and ears open."

"So, either Cerberus got their insects from here, Cerberus attacked the facility using these insects, or... someone else has them as well, Saren?" Liara asked flowing Shepard as the group continued down another dark corridor.

"This can't be Cerberus." Kaidan stated from behind Liara. "There are none of their staff here, but we know Benezia is and that she's working with Saren."

"I hope those things aren't Saren's" Shepard shouted from the front. "He already has the geth, and he's hiring Krogan. It's safe to assume Benezia came with asari commando's, Liara?" Shepard paused as Liara hummed in response. "So let's hope that Saren doesn't have any more surprises we don't know about."

"Shepard, I think their VI's core is in here!" Tali shouted in delight, stopping to open what appeared to be a utility hatch as everyone else continued past.

"Is there any chance of getting it back online, the facility's blacked out?" Shepard asked pulling the group to a halt.

"It's possibly there's a backup power system for its processors and memory. If I bypass..." Tali stopped at the sight of Shepard, Liara and Wrex looking at her blankly, and Garrus smirking to himself. "I might be able to, yes."

At Shepard's nod, the group filed into the small side room, housing what appeared to be a large array of computer, power and ironically, cooling system around a large tower in the centre of the room housing the facility's VI, all hidden within the darkness of the facility. Tali quickly disappeared behind some of the systems for several minutes before an artificial voice seemed to originate from a powered down terminal just in front of the main core.

"Critical start-up error. Virtual intelligence interface offline. Manual boot required."

The room remained quite for a moment before the orange holographic form of a woman appeared behind the terminal, followed by excited sounds from Tali somewhere out of sight as the gentle orange glow from the woman covered the room.

"It looks like you're trying to restore this facility, would you like help?" The VI chimed, the interface flickering with the power.

"You're the VI that runs this place?" Shepard asked stepping up tot he terminal.

"This system is programmed to respond to the name, Mira. May I ask your name?

"Commander Shepard. I work for the Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"One moment please... Unable to confirm, all means of communication in or out of this facility have been severed in accordance with emergency containment procedure. Access to off site databases is impossible. In accordance with facility restoration procedures, access to power and communications systems has been granted."

"Okay, where is Matriarch Benezia?" Shepard asked.

"I'm sorry, I cannot provide information on the location of any personal in the facility without confirming your authorization. Please make another inquiry."

"Right, how do we restore the facility?"

"In accordance with emergency containment procedures, the main fuel line have been disabled. User Alert! Backup fuel-cells are offline. Emergency power cells are at five percent. VI will lose power in eight minutes. Communication lines have been severed, junctions are located on the facility roof."

"Okay... Tali, can you take care of the communication cables yourself?" Shepard asked, starting back towards the door.

"I should be able to, might need a hand if any of those creatures appear." Tali answered running out from behind the computer.

"Wrex, you're with Tali. **Nothing** happens to her. Liara, you're with Kaidan and me. We'll meet back here once you get the facility reconnected." Shepard ordered as the group disappeared out of the core.

The group disappeared into another service hatch marked "Main Generator" and "Roof Access" entering another pitch black corridor, without the more open space of the facilities main corridors. Tali and Wrex disappeared up an ladder half way to the generator towards the roof, while Shepard's team finally emerged in the large room housing the generator.

As soon as the door opened, six of the creatures turned to glare at them from various positions in the room, including around the fuel tanks for the generator. As the three of them entered the room, Kaidan and Liara's barriers deflected acid flying towards them, before they pulled the insects away from the fuels tanks so the fire from Shepard's assault rifle, or the acid from the creatures didn't rupture them. With the room quickly cleared, Kaidan made his way over to the generator controls to reconnect the fuel lines.

With the generator repaired, the facility slowly began to come back to life. The lights finally flickered on,replacing the darkness through the facility with unbearably bright light, while everyone's eyes adjusted. They quickly made their way back to the VI core, being greeted by the orange form of the VI as it finished updating it's status.

"Scanning database. Identity confirmed. Greetings, Commander Shepard, you have been granted complete access to this facility. User Alert! Corporate secrets require specified authorization from a company administrator."

"Where is Matriarch Benezia?" Shepard asked the VI again, praying it would answer this time.

"Matriarch Benezia departed on the facility tramway to the Rift Station subsidiary laboratories. Tramway access is now available."

"What caused the facility shut-down?"

"Stage one alert issued within hot labs. Contaminants released from Laboratory Containment Pod Gamma. Emergency protocols initiated. Stage two alert issued. Lab Isolation Tube breached, all land line connections disconnected. Tramway, and all communications, disabled. Stage three alert issued locally. Contaminants detected in tramway. Facility shut-down, and evacuation ordered." Mira recounted.

"What was the containment that escaped?"

"I'm sorry, Commander. Any information on corporate secrets require administrator access."

"What are the creatures throughout this facility?"

"I'm sorry, Commander. Any information on corporate secrets require administrator access."

"Okay, I'm going to assume they're one and the same. Where are the trams to Rift Station?"

"This site's tram station is located at the end of the main corridor."

"Okay, let's wait for Tali and Wrex, then get moving." Shepard decided.

The group didn't have to wait long before the door to the VI core opened to show Wrex supporting a limping Tali. The suit on Tali's right leg appeared burnt, blood dripping down towards the floor. Shepard rushed over to the quarian as they both tried to walk into the room.

"What happened, is she okay?" She asked in a slight panic.

"I'll be fine Shepard, one of those bugs managed to sneak up behind us. My suit's already seal the rupture off, and it's only a flesh wound. Doctor Chakwas should have the medication to treat any infections or a reaction." Tali replied defensively.

"Fine, but there's no way you're coming with us, or staying here on your own." Shepard responded before turning around to face the other two. "Kaidan, take Tali back to the Mako. See what you can do to patch her up as well."

Shepard watched as the two slowly struggled off towards the Mako, a shotgun in Tali's hand, and a pistol in Kaidan's in case any of the insects appeared. Shepard left Wrex and Liara in the opposite direction, quickly reaching the tramway without any more sightings of any more insects. The tram ran straight into the mountain, finally coming to a halt at another deserted platform. They quickly started to move through the base, always cautious of more insects. Finding several door unlocked, they quickly followed the open path until they came across several security personnel holding a barricade.

After a quick discussion, and repelling an attack, they were only told that Benezia had gone down to the hot labs the day before and not returned. After the emergency was declared, only a single person had emerged, a volus somewhere in the back with the rest of the civilians. With no other leads, the three headed to speak to the volus.

"Was it just me, or did that guard seem a little... unusual?" Liara asked once they were out of earshot.

"He's been on stims for a week. They've been fighting of an unknown enemy. It's enough to make anyone act a little strange," Wrex grumbled.

"Does explain telling us he's not sending his own men down there. It was so out of place. Hopefully we'll know more once we speak to this volus." Shepard asserted.

As they opened the last door to the civilians, they were met with silent stares. Everyone seemed unwilling to help, offering little to know information when asked, leaving them all with no idea of where to go. After quickly searching the room, they found most of the doors out of the area locked down, including what the security personal had named as their fall back plan. Following the facilities signs towards the lab nearest the quarters, with a single volus standing outside, appearing lost while several other scientists were talking in a tight group. As Shepard walked over to the volus, the short person looked up at her from within his suit.

"You came here about them, didn't you?"

"You mean those insects? Do you know anything about them?" She asked, trying not to panic the volus.

"They're rachni." the volus stated, sounding almost lost.

"That's preposterous!" Liara exclaimed. "The rachni went extinct two millennia ago!"

"The most dangerous species in the galaxy. You were stupid enough to bring the most dangerous species in the galaxy back from extinction." Wrex roared.

"So... where did they come from?" Shepard asked, trying to ignore Wrex.

"They found it in a derelict ship. An egg. Drifting through space since the war. It was a Queen. They brought her here to-"

"Shut up! Do you want to get us all killed?" one of the scientists barked across the room.

"I don't have any control over who lives or dies here." The volus answered back to the scientist. "Do you?"

"If you're going to be crazy, be the quiet kind." One of the other scientists spat, before turning their back to the volus.

"Crazy? God, I'm not crazy" The volus replies slowly.

"Look, I need to know everything you can tall be about the rachni." Shepard asked the volus, trying to keep her tone as gentle as she could.

"I told you all I can. We brought the rachni back from the dead. In retrospect, bad idea." he replied lethargically.

"You don't need hind sight to realize that. It's always a bad idea." Wrex growled again.

"Is the queen down in the hot labs?"

The volus seemed just stare at Shepard, leaving her unable to see an expression through the environment suit, before it looked to the ground, muttering "No" repeatedly to himself self, not responding to anything.

Giving up on getting any more information from the volus, Shepard turned to look at Liara and Wrex. "I'm going to assume that the queen isn't down in the hot labs. We still need to go find Benezia, but if we can do something about the rachni, the civilians should all be safe."

"But... every where's locked down. The doors are sealed, and they have active security turrets." Liara protested.

Shepard pointed over her should towards a sealed utility access door on the far side of the room. "Think you can open that Wrex?"

A loud laugh escaped the krogan's throat, before he charged into the door. Shepard and Liara quickly followed, finding themselves in a tunnel cut into the ice, rather than the metal most of the facility was built from. The tunnel appeared to run below several of the seal of sections of the facility, including the security fall back. Eventually, they re-emerged into the facility by Wrex bursting through another door, finding themselves within a large cluster of labs.

"I thought this was meant to be a security centre?" Shepard muttered.

"You really going to trust what that guy told you. Nothing he told us has panned out." Wrex moaned from in front of them, moving towards one of the labs.

"He did seem quite contradictory..." Liara offered quietly.

"Well, we might as well see what's in these labs." Shepard stated as Wrex tore open another door, seeming to pause before stepping through the gap. Shepard followed him, along with Liara.

The three of them found themselves staring up towards a single figure, draped in black, standing just in front of large tank with the large hulking body of what appeared to be the rachni queen within.


	14. Hello Mother

A/N: Just want to say a huge thank you to Yestare70, who has volunteered to proofread my chapters. So hopefully, no more silly spelling or grammar errors.

As always, please review. It's a great incentive to write more, and I love hearing people's opinions on plot points and the story as a whole.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Hello Mother**

"You do not know the privilege in being a mother. It grants power. To create a life, to influence the world through its actions. Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies." The dark female figure said from the platform ahead of them before turning to face the team. "I won't be moved by sympathy, no matter who you bring before me. In fact, I consider this embarrassment and insult."

Liara felt her fists clench as blue energy slowly twisted it's self around her arms at the insult.

"Liara's here because she wants to be, not because I ask her to." Shepard replied defensively.

"Indeed? what have you told her about me, Liara?" Benezia drawled.

"What could I say mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? I haven't spoken to you in decades, what could I possibly tell her, mother?!" Liara exclaimed.

"Have you ever faced an asari Commander? Few humans have."

"I can't believe you're going to kill your own daughter?" Shepard asked, resisting the urge to pull the trigger on her assault rifle.

"I'm only gratefullthat you have given me the opportunity to correct my mistake." Benezia hissed while flaring her biotics.

Shepard didn't have time to react before a powerful blue wave of energy swept towards her from Benezia. Liara, in anticipation of the attack, threw a large barrier up around all of them, shielding everyone from the attack. With the brunt of the attack stopped, it only succeeded in knocking them all back several paces, leaving them slightly stunned. As they all recovered, several doors around the room opened to let a large group of asari and commando's in, followed by as many geth.

Shepard placed a hand on Liara's arm, trying to give her a comforting look through each of their helmets. Shepard gently pulled Liara into cover behind a pile of crates, before she opened fire at the geth and asari starting to surround them. Wrex quickly followed Shepard's lead, adding his biotics and shotgun to the fray.

Shepard dropped back into cover, looking at Liara as she reloaded. "Can you give me and Wrex time to take out the others?"

Liara looked back towards her mother, glowing with biotic energy, before she reluctantly nodded to Shepard. Liara leapt out of cover as Shepard resumed firing, sending waves of energy at her mother. Benezia easily blocked the energy, seemingly effortlessly, before throwing a far stronger wave back. Liara hesitated as she saw the attack coming, leaving herself too little time block the attack. She managed to quickly throw herself back into the cover Shepard had pulled her into, finding she was now the only one behind it. She took a second to look around, hearing gunshots from towards where the commandos and geth had been positioning themselves.

Quickly regretting the time she took to look around the Shepard, Liara found herself quickly exposed as the crates were thrown to the side. Reacting on instinct, she threw another barrier up around herself, before a warp field collided with it. Seizing the chance as her barrier detonated, Liara threw a wave at her mother, knocking the older asari off her feet, giving her time to recover.

Liara quickly reached the top of the steps to the platform in front of the large tank. Benezia managed to get to her feet, and projected a barrier in front of her before a stasis field collided with it. Liara paused, finally able to see the blank emotionless expression in her mother's face, getting her own barrier up in time to block another powerful wave of energy directed at her.

With the two now face to face, Liara maintained a barrier around herself, as Benezia focused increasingly powerful attacks at her daughter, forcing Liara down to the ground, surrounding herself with a rapidly shrinking bubble. A brief pause came in the onslaught as Benezia charged another attack, before three gunshots managed to pierce the noise filling the room.

Liara looked up to see her mother clutching her stomach. Purple blood was running down the front of her dress from three gunshot wounds as she keeled over, grabbing onto the handrail around the platform for support. Shepard stepped up from behind Liara, pulling the weak asari back to her feet, not releasing the grip on her pistol.

"This is not over. Saren is unstoppable." Benezia hissed from in front of the two.

"You've already lost. Why are you doing this?" Shepard asked, pulling Liara beside her.

"I... I won't betray him. You will... You..." Benezia gasped before pain appeared to overwhelm her. The asari collapsed on the floor, before looking up at them with what somehow appeared to be clearer eyes. "You must listen. I still hear the whispers in my mind. I can fight the compulsions, briefly, but the indoctrination is strong."

"So you could attack us at any moment again. Try and kill your own daughter." Shepard asked holding Liara.

"Yes, but that is not my will. You... lose yourself around Saren. He has ways to break down your mind. There comes a point where you will do anything for him." Benezia gasped, visibly growing weaker. "The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of immense size and unimaginable power. The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren seems right, you start to agree with his decisions. You sit and smile as his words pour into you." Benezia sighed, somehow appearing happy at the idea. "It was subtle at first, I thought I could resist. Instead I became his willing slave."

"Why did he send you here?"

"He wanted the location of the Mu Relay. It's position was lost thousands of years ago. Two thousand years ago, the region of the galaxy containing the relay was inhabited by the rachni. Only they could have the location of the relay. Each rachni queen is born with the memories and knowledge of their mother. This queen knows the location of that relay, and now, so does Saren." Benezia appeared to be regretful at her admission, despite slowly losing herself again. "I took the information from her mind. I wasn't gentle. I... I don't know why he needed the information."

"You can make up for your mistake. I need the information to stop Saren." Shepard adjusted the grip on her pistol, lifting it towards Benezia as the asari shifted to her feet.

"I have it on this OSD, I have already sent a copy to Saren."

Liara shifted against Shepard and spoke up to her mother. "The location of the relay is not enough, do you know where he planned to go from there?"

"I never knew his destination. You must find out quickly, I sent him the coordinates before you arrived. He ordered me to kill you all." Benezia said, slowly lifting an OSD out of her dress, but didn't hold it out. "You have to stop me... The... voices..." Benezia shuddered, dropping the OSD to the ground before she lit up in blue.

Reacting on instinct, Shepard pulled Liara against her chest, burying the asari's face against her neck before her pistol fired a single shot into Benezia's chest. She watched as the aggressive look that had filled Benezia's face drained away, leaving only fear, Liara shuddering against her.

"I'm sorry." Shepard whispered, just loud enough for Liara and Benezia to hear.

Shepard didn't lower her pistol as Benezia fell backwards to land against the tank.

Liara peered round, pushing herself away from Shepard. "Mother!..."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not myself. I never will be again." Benezia rasped, before coughing up blood. "Good night, Little Wing. I will see you again." Benezia looked up from Liara to Shepard, her eyes pleading to the Spectre. "Please."

Liara flinched at the sound of a gunshot, pressing herself back against Shepard as she grabbed onto Shepard's armor. Shepard's pistol fired once, placing a single shot in Benezia's head. Thankfully, the small projectile left the skull intact with only a single line of blood running down her forehead.

Shepard dropped her pistol as a sob came from Liara. She placed her arms around Liara as Wrex came up from behind them. "I forgot how much fight asari can have in them. Certainly much more than those geth."

Shepard quickly waved the krogan back, easing her grip on Liara. She quickly moved over to her mother, picking up one hand, unable to look at the blood soaked body as tears flooded her eyes. "Goodbye... Mother."

Shepard picked the OSD off of the floor and slipped in into a pocked and stowed her pistol, not taking her eyes off Liara. A shout from behind her, made Shepard jump. She managed to turn around in time to see Wrex trying to pull his shotgun off his back to shoot an incredibly unstable, and almost dead, asari. Shepard quickly gestured for Wrex to lower his weapon as the asari continued slowly, causing the krogan to give her an annoyed look, but didn't fire.

The asari eventually came to a halt beside Benezia, just in front of the large tank, causing Liara to scramble back in surprise. The rachni behind the asari shifted, pressing it's self against the glass as the asari started to talk in a slow pained voice. "This one serves as our voice. We cannot sing, not in these low spaces. Your musics are colourless."

"I don't understand? Musics? Who am I talking to?" Shepard blurted.

"Your way of communicating is strange. It does not colour the air." The asarireplied, struggling, and appearing to grow weaker. "We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced. We are rachni."

"How can you speak through her?" Shepard asked walking up tot he glass.

"We sought for a mind to touch, to sing to. She is weak. Her life is ending. Her own musics are bitter-sweet. We sooth, and she sings for us."

"Why are you... singing... to me?" Shepard asked, looking round at the asari. "Do you want to ask me to release you**?**"

"First, we have a request. The children we birthed. They were taken from us before they could sing. They are forever silent." The rachni shifted in its cage, looking Shepard directly in the eyes. "Please, end their suffering. They can only cause harm."

"If it's the only way. What about you?" Shepard asked, looking back at the queen.

"We stand before you. The rachni do not wish conquest. We wish peace. We will go, hide, burrow. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we doomed to fade away once more?"

Shepard looked around at the two behind her, not sure how to react. The rachni were a problem while humans were still running around fighting each other with swords.

Wrex started towards the tank, still pointing his shotgun at the asari. "You can't let this thing loose. The rachni almost conquered the entire galaxy."

Liara stood up, trying to straiten herself out as she glared at Wrex. "The council let the krogan go too far. They shouldn't have wiped out the rachni. This is a chance to make up for their mistake."

Shepard turned back to the rachni. "She's done nothing wrong, and I won't condemn her species to extinction, or her to death, for something she hasn't done." Shepard moved over to the controls for the cage, starting the procedure to open the seal.

Wrex stepped closer, glaring at Shepard. "This is a mistake, you can't let her go!" He didn't have a chance to say anything else as alarms started ringing through the lab while the tank started to rise towards what appeared to be a service tunnel to the mountain's surface. "You're going to regret this Shepard."

With everything in the lab now resolved, Shepard started towards the lab's entrance. "We need to go, we've still got the rachni problem in the hot labs."

Wrex followed Shepard without question, but Liara paused for a moment, staring at her mother's body before following them.

* * *

The ride down to the hot labs proved arduous. The elevator wasn't meant to be used to reach the lab in anything other than an emergency, so It was small and slow. The security personnel had been able to give them security codes for the lab's systems, once Shepard had informed them that Benezia was dead. Apparently she'd ordered them to send Shepard to the hot lab, before leaving them petrified, fighting the hoard of insects coming up through the shaft, presumably trying to find their queen, or food. Surprisingly, the shaft appeared empty, despite the expectation of the shaft to be filled with rachni, leaving them nothing to do except wait.

Half way down the shaft, Wrex was the first to say anything. "You pack a punch asari, Matriarchs are powerful."

Shepard gave Wrex a glare, or as much of one as she could through her breather mask, not happy with him bringing up Liara's mother. Liara however reached out to grab Shepard's hand, but replied calmly. "My mother always saw I received the best tutoring, that included biotics."

"Just glad to see you know which side you're on." The krogan grunted as the look on Liara face soured slightly, Shepard's shifting to fury.

Before anyone could say anything, the elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. The lab was a large open space, hovering deep in the mountain, connected to the outside by only the elevator shaft they had come down, and a tram line, which appeared to have been caved in. A single walkway led from the elevator towards a small room at the far end of the lab, and what appeared to be an elevator running to various floors in the lab. The walkway was encased in glass, or had been. Shards lay scattered across the walkway where sections had been shattered, presumably how the rachni were getting out of the hot lab.

The three started walking towards the far end, quickly, but quietly, trying to avoid stepping on glass. The walls, floor and ceiling of the large lab were crawling with insects, barely visible in the dim light. Several minutes later, they managed to walk into the room unobstructed, finding themselves face to face with Mira, the VI.

"Hello again Commander Shepard, is there-" The VI chimed before Shepard interrupted.

"Set your volume to the minimum setting." Shepard hissed. "I need to activate the hot lab's security system, and cleanse the lab."

"This facility is equipped with a short range neutron bomb for emergency sterilisation." the VI replied, barely audible. "Full security clearance is required for activation." Shepard pulled up the code the security personnel had given her, reciting it to the VI before it continued. "Neutron purge activated. Warning! Detonation will occur in two minutes."

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, stepping back towards the rooms exit before an alarm filled the lab. Shepard froze, cursing under her breath as the noise of what sounded like thousands of legs all started rushing their owners towards the only exit.

All three of them broke into a sprint towards the elevator at the far end. Wrex and Shepard each pulled their shotguns out, firing at rachni starting to pour through the glass. Liara tried to help, but after the beating she had endured fighting Benezia, she was worn out. With the path filling up in front and behind them, Wrex and Shepard were forced to switch to just keeping the rachni away, rather than making progress, leaving them stranded, with a ticking clock moving closer to zero.

Mira announced through the PA system as the clock reached sixty seconds, causing panic to grip Liara. She looked around, panting, from the floor, watching as the rachni inched closer. Pushing herself to her feet before the asari bathed herself in energy. Liara stepped up beside Wrex with a look of determination on her face, before a large wave of energy swept along the walkway towards the lift, clearing the path. Liara slumped, exhausted, collapsing against the shocked krogan. Not missing the opportunity Wrex threw Liara over a shoulder and grabbed Shepard by her arm, pulling her back towards the elevator. They both broke into a sprint, only coming to a halt once they were inside the elevator, and firing back towards the swarm. The two only stopped firing once the doors had sealed, and the elevator was moving up towards Rift Station.

Thankfully, the doors appeared to be shielded, while the rock and icesurrounding the facility reduced the effective range of the bomb. Relieved, Wrex dropped Liara to the floor, before he and Shepard collapsed oneither side of her.

* * *

"Are they okay?" Ash asked, concern filling her voice as she looked at the still bloody leg of Tali, and Liara, who appeared to be half asleep.

"They'll be fine. Tali could use some care, but Liara should just need something to eat, and a rest." Shepard answered, helping Liara out, followed by Wrex carrying Tali.

After dropping the two of them off in the sick bay, and collecting Garrus, who had only suffered a minor fracture that was easily repaired, they moved up to the CIC and comm room to join the rest of the team to go over the mission.

"So what's next Commander," Ash asked once everyone had sat down. "head for the Mu Relay?"

"The Mu relay could link to dozens of systems. It would take could take us weeks, or even months to search them all." Shepard stated. "If Saren already knows where to look, we've missed something. If he doesn't, we still have time to find out."

"Still, we don't have any more leads. We need something, a lead." Ash protested.

"Something will turn up. It can't be easy of that flagship of his to pass by unnoticed, you saw that thing." Shepard insisted. "Look, we're all tired, it's been a hard day. Let's all go take a break."

Everyone got up to leave, looking pleased to get a chance to relax, but Garrus appeared unable to resist a joke. "So giant, ancient, sentient plants just aren't good enough for you. You had to go find the greatest threat the galaxy has ever face. Rachni."

"You know me Garrus, always looking for a fight." Shepard laughed. "Still, the reapers seem to be vying for the top spot on that list Garrus."

"Always after a bigger fight." Ash laughed, passing the two of them on her way out of the comm room.

Shepard laughed as everyone filed out before Joker's voice came over the comm. _"Guess who feels like giving you a pat on the back, Commander."_

"Put them through." Shepard sighed, turning round to face The Council as their holograms formed. "Good evening Councillors, what can I do for you?"

The turian Councillor glared at her in response. "What can you do for us?You released the rachni back into the galaxy. Do you have any idea how long it will take them before they can conquer every planet in citadel jurisdiction?"

"I don't know, Councillor, but this queen isn't interested in conquest. She even seemed to regret what her ancestors did." Shepard replied calmly.

"Or so She claims. You took the word of an insect, Shepard, a bug. The rachni are a blight on the galaxy." He argued.

Before Shepard could interrupt, the Salarian Councillor cut in. "It is unlikely the rachni would be able to pose as significant a threat as they did in the past. The galaxy is far more populated, with more wide-spread colonies. To build a force capable of invasion in secret would be almost impossible."

Having remained silent so far, the Asari Councillor moved to close the comm. "We have a lead on Saren that might interest you, Commander. We believe we have the location of a facility he owns on the planet Virmire. We have a STG team on the planet that has been investigating Saren's activities. We received a message from them several hours ago."

"Unfortunately, what we received was merely static." The Salarian Councillor explained. "They are obviously in a situation where they cannot set up proper communications, but this was sent on a channel reserved for mission critical information. We thought you would like to investigate."

"Of course. Thank you Councillors." Shepard replied before two of the holograms faded, leaving only the Asari Councillor. "I will need to speak with you later about the circumstances of Benezia's death, Commander. Her involvement with Saren has been kept quiet thus far, it would be best if we could avoid a political incident."

"I will do my best Councillor." Shepard stated before the last hologram faded, leaving her in the comm room by herself. She quietly moved back to a seat, cupping her head in her hands as she exhaled. 'I killed her mother. How could she ever forgive me.'

Without thinking, Shepard marched off the ship, deciding she needed something to drink.

* * *

Liara looked up at the loud knock from the door to her room. Chakwas had quickly dismissed her from the medbay, only insisting that she ate, and got a good nights sleep. The food however, sat untouched on her desk, while she was curled up on her bed in the corner of the room.

"Come in." She said quietly between sobs.

The doors opened to reveal a rather unhappy looking Wrex, who surprisingly, didn't appear angry. He slowly stepped into the small room, looking around for a seat, deciding the was better off not trying the flimsy chair at the desk, and settled on a storage crate in the corner of the room opposite Liara. She watched him quietly with large eyes as he entered, but didn't move from her spot on the bed.

Looking remarkably uncomfortable, they both sat in silence for a few moments before Wrex finally managed to work out what he wanted to say. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. To a krogan, clan is meant to mean everything."

"I understand Wrex. You are not the first person here to not trust me because of my mother." Liara answered, smiling weakly. "Just the first to try and kill me because of it."

"You fought with us against Benezia, kid. I've fought asari before. You might not look like it, but asari can really back a punch, especially with your biotics." Wrex paused as Liara looked down, appearing to be more upset. "Look, I know what you're going through, kid. I killed my own father, back on Tuchanka."

"What happened?" Liara asked through a layer of tears.

"He betrayed me. We all betrayed each other after the genophage. I was in control of a small tribe, trying to rebuild what we once were. I told everyone we should focus on breeding, but Jarrod just wanted to fight. Turians, Salarians, other krogan, it didn't matter to him." Wrex sighed. "To put it simply, he was pissed. His own son telling him what to do, jealousy doesn't suit warlords. He arranged a meeting for us at an old burial ground, The Hollows. It's as sacred as any location can be to the krogan. Violence is forbidden."

Liara shuddered. "He laid a trap?"

"He did, I expected as much, but I couldn't say no. As soon as it became clear I wasn't going to change my mind, the shooting started." Wrex growled. "They quickly killed those I had taken with me, I barely got out of there alive, but not before I sank my dagger deep into my father's chest." He paused as Liara shuddered at the image. "Jarrod and Benezia both had to die to do what was right. The krogan need to stop fighting, and we need to stop Saren. Take comfort that Benezia wanted to die, an end to Saren's control over her."

Liara managed a faint smile at the towering krogan. "Thank you Wrex. You are right, her death was a mercy. I'm just sorry she's gone."

"You should speak to Shepard." Wrex said as he stood up. "She'll be beating herself up over this, and she doesn't deserve that. She did the right thing. The Doctor asked that I make sure you've eaten as well. I'll tell her you're about finished?"

Liara sighed, looking at the full plate. "I suppose I really should eat something. I'll see you later Wrex, thank you, again." She replied giving him a warm smile.

* * *

Shepard had managed to wander into what she assumed was the corporate world's version of a convenience store, or Noveria's version anyway. Given the high prices of most of the alcohol in the store, Shepard ended up picking up a bottle that appeared to be a local speciality, and offered the most alcohol for her money. Not waiting to go to the check out, she opened the bottle and took a swig, while continuing to browse the store. The salarian behind the counter appeared rather unhappy about the situation, but the armor and weaponry she was still wearing appeared enough to convince him not to do anything. Unable to find much in the way of junk food she could eat without throwing her military diet off, she ended up grabbing a box of what she knew were expensive chocolates and went straightfor the checkout.

Five minutes later, she strode back onto the Normandy, ordering Joker to set a course to Virmire and disappeared down the crew deck, and her quarters to try to forget about the day. Half way down the bottle, and defiantly drunk, a knock at the door caught Shepard's attention.

"Who's there?" Shepard shouted from her bedat the opposite side of the room, pushing herself up to sit at the foot of the bed. Panic hit her as Liara replied, but deciding that the worst option would be to not let her in, Shepard called for her to enter, squinting in the dim room to make out the figure standing in the bright doorway.

Liara stared into the dark room, barely able to make out the shape of Shepard sat on the bed, clutching at a bottle. Closing the door behind her, she slowly walked in, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room. Grateful Shepard wouldn't be able to see how swollen her eyes were from crying, she decided to do what she came for before her nerve failed. "I... just wanted to say thank you, Shepard, for what you did for my mother. It was terrible to see her like that, being forced to obey someone else's will." Unable to come up with any other possible response, Shepard just held out the bottle she was holding to Liara. She took the bottle, but sat down next to Shepard, staring at the contents. "She usedto be such a loving person. We may have had our differences, but she was always kind. She never tried to stop me from doing anything I wanted, even if she did disapprove."

"She was your mother, of course she loved you. It was her job to encourage you, to want what's best for you" Shepard stated.

Liara took an eager drink from the bottle, before choking on the strong, and completely alien taste of the drink. She could swear she could feel it burning her throat after she swallowed it, although decided it was probably an after-taste.

"I... I just want to remember her the way she was, my mother. Not what Saren turned her into." Liara sobbed, handing the bottle back to Shepard. Shepard took another swig from the half empty bottle, before passing Liara the open box of chocolates from somewhere behind her, having barely touched them once the alcohol had started to take effect.

They both looked at Shepard's omni-tool in surprise as it started ringing, the display identifying the caller as Tevos. Curious, Shepard answered the video call, to find a life size version of the asari councillor appearing in her cabin. "Councillor, erm... Hey." Shepard managed, struggling to think clearly with this much alcohol in her system.

The councillor frowned, taking in the image of the half empty bottle in Shepard's hand not supporting her omni-tool. "Please Shepard, I am not calling on behalf of the council... You do know Noverian Rum is illegal in council space?" Tevos waved her own question off, wanting to get to other matters. "Call me Tevos, I am calling on behalf of the Asari republic. One of our most prominent matriarchs has died, and under terrible circumstances. Unfortunately, I need to ask how responsible she was for the circumstances in which you found her?"

Shepard looked over to Liara beside her, who was sniffing a chocolate after a decidedly unpleasant experience with the contents of Shepard's bottle. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious as she saw the Councillor's gaze shift to her.

"I think Liara might be better able to answer that question." Shepard shrugged, laughing to herself as she saw Liara blush. She quickly regretted putting Liara in the headlights, as Liara appeared to grow closer to tears again, forcing Shepard to answer. "Benezia was completely under Saren's control. She was able to overcome his influence for a short period of time, and provided us with valuable information to help us stop Saren."

"I'm pleased to hear it Shepard. I shall do everything I can to see to it that Matriarch Benezia, and yourself, Doctor T'Soni, are not cast in a bad light by these events." Shepard could swear there was a small smirk growing on Tevos's face as she talked. "I assume Noveria's administrators will see to it that her body is preserved correctly?"

"We left instructions, but you will probably want to have someone contact them directly." Shepard replied, starting to feel uncomfortable as Tevos's smirk continued to grow.

"If it's okay with you Doctor T'Soni, the Matriarchs would like to arrange her funeral? She is a prominent figure, and it would go a long way to maintaining her reputation." Tevos asked.

Liara only managed to hum a response, causing Shepard to look round at the asari next to her, finding Liara trying to lick her fingers clean. The box of chocolates sat on her lap, empty, while Liara looked incredibly guilty. Shepard and Tevos both burst out in laughter, not making any attempt to hide it.

Liara felt her cheeks turning a dark shade of blue, wishing she hadn't just devoured the whole box in front of the asari Councillor. "I would like to insist on several details, but I have no objections if the Matriarchs wish to organise it. It is probably they who knew her better these last few decades, rather than myself."

"Very well, I will contact you once arrangements start to be made. Good night to you both." Tevos finished with a slight bow of her head before the line closed, leaving Shepard giggling at the embarrassed asari next to her, still trying to clean her fingers.


	15. Paradise

A/N: Sorry everyone for the rather long wait for me to post this. things have been a bit busy, and I've just generally found it difficult to site down and write this one. There's also a few small changes to lore that have an effect as we go through the games, so I wanted to make sure i got them right.

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Paradise**

"I hate these things!"Ash shouted as another energy blast hit the side of the walkway.

The Normandy's stealth drive had allowed them to land on Virmire undetected, but getting anywhere near Saren's facility, and the salarians' camp, would requireflying within visual range of the AA guns.

Shepard glanced back to the opposite side of the walkway as she slammed in another thermal clip. "We need to get to the Mako."

Another energy blast hit the side, shakingthe low wall they were using for cover. "We'll never manageto get out of there before it fires another shot." Kaidan complained, emptying his clip at the Colossus.

"What happened to your magic shooting Garrus? We could do with you dropping this thing in one shot." Shepard laughed, jabbing the Turian in the back.

"That was an Armature, and it's shields were down." Garrus replied defensively. "At least give me a rocket launcher."

"Sorry Garrus, all out. Do you think you guys can keep it's attention for a few minutes?" Shepard asked, slipping her assault rifle onto her back.

Everyone gave her a quick nod before the next blast hit the walkway. As several overloads, and heavy gunfire started to rain down on the colossus's shields, Shepard crawled along below the cover, away from her team and out of the fire. Their fire halted as theeye piece began to charge with energy. As the hum of the shot hitting the walkway by her team faded, Shepard broke from cover, sprinting towards the far side of the walkway.

Garrus dropped back behind the wall as his assault rifle whined in protest. The rest of the team followed him into cover, their own weapons overheating. Shepard was out of sight, leaving them on their own against a colossus.

"So... how exactly is Shepard going to handle the driving, and the gun?" Ash asked replacing her thermal clip.

"She can barely drive that thing!" Kaidan shouted as another blast hit the wall at their backs.

The three of them lifted themselves over the wall in time to see the colossus lowering it's gaze towards the wall and doorway below them. As they started firing a motor roared somewhere behind them, catching everyone's attention.

"She's not...?" Kaidan asked starting to sound worried.

"She wouldn't... She's not...?" Garrus stuttered, looking stunned as they heard the roar again.

The Mako lurched forwards as the colossus that had pinned the team in position attempted to charge it's cannon. The rover flew towards the large geth, forcing the spindly legsout from beneath the quadruped. Continuing to accelerate, the Mako passed under the belly of the colossus, leaving it face down in the shallow water and sand that ran along the base of the cliff.

"She did." Ash groaned.

As the geth platform attempted to make it's way back to it's feet, Shepard reversed the direction of the Mako, stopping with two of the rear tires forcing the head and neck down, slowly bending beneath the weight of the vehicle sitting on top of it. Shepard stepped out of the Mako, to a shower of sparks as the neck finally snapped, leaving the limbs limp on the ground.

"You really can't drive!" Garrus yelled, grinning as he held his assault rifle over his shoulder.

"You're just jealous, ya big chicken." Shepard laughed. "Now get down here before they decide to send another army to investigate."

The Normandy only now flying overhead drowned out the response from her team as Joker's voice came over a comm line. _"We've got a clear flight to the salarians' camp Commander. We'll see you on the ground in a few minutes."_

* * *

With most of the geth between them and the STG camp, they managed to arrive without any more lengthy fire fights. Joker, however, radioed them several minutes after they set off, with bad news, suggesting they speak to the salarian captain once they arrived. Shepard had barely pulled the Mako to a stop, let alone powered it down, before Ash and Kaidan leapt from the door, starting towards a salarian that appeared to be waiting for them. By the time Shepard caught up with them, most of her team, including Tali using a pair of crutches, had joined them from the Normandy.

"What do you mean we're grounded?!" Ash exclaimed. "What do we do now?!"

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan." The salarian replied calmly to her.

"Are you in charge here?" Shepard asked, pushing her way past Wrex towards the salarian. "What's the situation?"

"I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third infiltration regiment, STG. You and your crew have just landed in the middle of a hot zone. EveryAA gun within ten miles has been alerted to your presence." The captain explained. "I just can't work out why they didn't manage to shoot you down on the way in."

"The Normandy's got a few tricks up her sleeve, and a damn good pilot." Shepard smirked, praying Joker wasn't listening in somehow. "So what do we do? You sent a message to the council, we assumed you had a plan."

"We do, but we need to sit tight until we receive the reinforcements we requested."

"We are the reinforcements." Kaidan calmly stated.

"What? We requested a fleet. Why would they just send you with all of the intelligence we sent them?" The Captain asked sounding worried.

"Your transmission was blocked, we just received static. The council informed me, and asked us to investigate."

"That is a repetition of our task." Kirrahe complained. "I've already lost almost half of my men _investigating_ this place."

"So what did you find that led you to call in a Citadel fleet?" Garrus asked from just over Shepard's shoulder.

The salarian Captain sighed, clearly not thrilledat the prospect of repeating what he'd tried to report to the Council. "This is Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here, and it's crawling with geth. Not to mention the huge levels of fortification he's managed to construct."

"What kind of research is he conducting here, and is he here overseeing it himself?" Shepard asked, glad that they may actually have the chance of dealing a blow to Saren, rather than just chasing after him.

"We haven't had any sign that Saren is here, but given the size of the facility, it's not impossible. As for his research, we don't know much about it. But, we do know that he is also using the site to breed a krogan army."

"Krogan army!" Wrex exclaimed, so far just hanging around at the back of the group. "How is that possible?" he asked, pushing his way towards the small salarian that had just caught his attention.

"Apparently Saren has discovered a cure for the genophage." the salarian replied, seemingly too uncomfortable to actually look at Wrex.

"Right, what actually is the genophage? I've heard a lot of people talking about it, but no one really seems to actually say anything. What is it?" Shepard asked, looking between the salarian and krogan in front of her.

"It was the solution to the krogan problem." Wrex spat at the salarian.

"We introduced the genophage into the krogan population to quell their numbers after the uprising. It was the end to the Krogan Rebellions" Kirrahe answered, still not looking at Wrex. "Without it, they are capable of conquering the galaxy. The fact that these krogan follow Saren just makes things worse."

"A krogan army? I though Saren was just hiring mercenaries. But if he had an entire army of them, in addition to the geth, he'd be almost unstoppable."

"That was the thoughts of my team exactly. We concluded that the only option was to destroy the facility, and it's secrets."

"**Destroy it! **I don't think so! This cure can save my people." Wrex roared.

"If that cure leaves this planet, the krogan become a threat to all other life in the galaxy. We can't make the same mistake twice." Kirrahe replied, not showing any fear, despite the angry krogan snarling at him.

"**We are not a mistake!**" Wrex roared again, before walking off towards the water, shoving the salarian aside as he passed.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe asked quickly regaining his composure. "We already have enough angry krogan to deal with."

"I'll go talk to him. He'll listen to reason." Shepard replied quietly, before muttering "I hope." to herself.

"I would appreciate that Commander. My men and I need some time to rethink our plan of attack. Since we don't have a fleet on the way, bombarding the site is no longer an option." Kirrahe replied gratefully before walking back into the tent that appeared to be serving as his command centre.

"Looks like this place is a bit of a mess."Kaidan muttered once Kirrahe was out of earshot.

"I wouldn't be as worried if it wasn't for the giant krogan about to switch sides and kill us all." Ash groaned, looking towards the large reptile looking out to the ocean.

"I'll take care of Wrex, he'll listen to me." Shepard offered, not sounding very reassured herself. "You may want to find somewhere out of sight to set up with a rifle, just in case."

Shepard left the remaining crew, slowly approaching the large krogan pointing his shotgun towards the water. She flinched as the shotgun fired, the blast echoing off the cliffs behind them both. Wrex surprised her by being the first one to start talking.

"This isn't right Shepard. If there's a cure for the genophage we need to get it. This can save my people!"

Taking his willingness to talk as a good sign, Shepard continued towards Wrex. "I understand you're upset Wrex. I understand this is hard for you, but we both know that Saren is a threat to the entire galaxy, your race included. He's the one you should be angry with."

"Really, Saren created a cure for my people. You, and those salarians, want to destroy it. Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friends and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand." Wrex growled, turning around to glare at Shepard.

"This isn't a cure Wrex." Shepard stated, advancing on the krogan. "This is a weapon. Against everyone. The krogan certainly won't see the benefits of this. No one will."

"That is a chance we should be willing to take. This is the future of my entire race we're talking about here. You've never lied to me Shepard, you've always said things as they are. You were even right about that little Asari you keep, but I need to know this is the right thing to do." Wrex bellowed, raising his shotgun to point at Shepard's chest.

Shepard felt her fist tightening around the but of her shotgun as she listened to Wrex dismissing Liara as a pet. Trying to stay calm, she exhaled before replying along the barrel of her shotgun. "These aren't your people Wrex, they'd Saren's slaves. If he has his way, that's what every krogan will become. Is that what you want for them? For you?"

Wrex shifted uncomfortably for a second before he replied. "No, were we tools for the Council once, and to thank us they neutered us all." Wrex spat, watching as Shepard slowly lowered her shotgun. "I doubt Saren would be as generous." The two paused, staringat each other with Wrex's shotgun still aimed at Shepard's chest, until the stalemate finally broke. "Okay Shepard, we'll do this your way. I don't like it, but I trust you. Just one thing, when we find Saren, I want his head."

"I'm starting to agree with you." Shepard muttered, watching as Wrex replaced his shotgun onto his back. She breathed a sigh of relief before her fist slammed up into Wrex's bottom Jaw as the soft thump of Shepard's shotgun hitting the ground made him look down. The bones slammed it closed with a crunch, leaving the krogan looking surprised. "**Never** point a gun at me Wrex." She didn't wait for a response before she lifted her knee and slammed her foot straight into the armor plate between Wrex's legs, causing a grunt to escape Wrex. "And **never** speak about a member of my crew like that, especially Liara!"

Wrex lookedoff to the side, before spitting out a mouthful of blood, and what appeared to be several teeth. He looked back to Shepard with a thin line of blood seeping out of his mouth causing the Commander flinched. "You pack a quad, Shepard."

As the surprise of not being hit back faded, Shepard managed to respond. "Look, If the opportunity ever comes up, at all, to help the krogan, to cure the genophage, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"We've got a turian to kill first." Wrex stated, looking off in the direction of Saren's facility.

Shepard turned back towards the camp with Wrex following her, looking like he was in a fair amount of pain. "That we do."

* * *

"Thank you for speaking with the krogan, we have a hard enough mission ahead of us as it is." Kirrahe said as he ran back out to Shepard and Wrex's return.

"I do have a name." The krogan muttered from behind Shepard, but none of them made any further comment on it.

"I'm going to guess that means you have a plan?" Shepard asked looking hopeful as her crew started to gather around again.

"Of sorts." He replied, looking anything but optimistic. "We can convert our Ship's drive core into a twenty-kiloton ordinance. Crude, but effective.

"Excellent, drop that sucker from orbit, and watch the place burn." Ash cheered.

"Unfortunately the facility is too well guarded for that. We need to place the device at a precise location on the other side of the facility. Your ship can drop it off, but we need to disable the AA towers, and pacify any forces on the ground." The Captain explained.

"We don't have any where near the number of forces for an all out frontal attack." Kaidan stated in alarm from behind Shepard. "We'll get slaughtered."

"It is risky, but there's no other option, and we do have a workaround." Kirrahe assured them. "I'm going to divide my forces into three teams, and hit the front of the facility. While we have their attention, your _shadow_ team will sneak in around the back."

"Your men will still get massacred." Shepard gaped.

"We're tougher than we look Commander, but... No, it's likely that most of us won't make it back." he looked down uncomfortable before continuing. "And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me to help coordinate the teams. They will need to be familiar with you communication protocols."

"I volunteer." Ash and Kaidan said in unison, stepping forwards.

"Lieutenant, the commander will need you to man the bomb. I should be the one to go." Ash insisted.

"With all due respect, Chief, that's not your decision to make." Kaidan shouted back at Ash.

"Why is that whenever someone says _with all due respect_, they really mean _kiss my ass?_" Ash snapped back at the Lieutenant.

"Kaidan, you've got the most experience with explosives of anyone on my team, I need you to set the bomb. Ash, you're with Kirrahe." Shepard ordered. "**No** heroics, understood?"

"Aye-Aye Commander." She replied calmly.

"I volunteer as well." Wrex muttered from the back, followed by everyone looking round at him in shock. "If those krogan are on the field, there isn't a single team member with them that can take them down. Plus, someone needs to show Saren what a real krogan can do." He continued, giving the Salarian Captain a determined look."

"I... I can hardly refuse given the odds facing my men. With your permission Commander?" Kirrahe nervously asked. Shepard replied with a nod before the Captain continued. "Glad to have you Wrex, we could certainly use a heavy hitter."

"Right, if there's nothing else, we'll leave you to prepare your men and the bomb." With the captain leaving to organize the attack, Shepard turned back to everyone gathered behind her. "You'd better follow his ordersWrex."

"Don't worry Shepard. If anyone is capable of curing the genophage, it's that race of pyjaks. If there's ever going to be a cure, we need to get them onto our side." Wrex smirked.

"New you, Wrex?" Shepard laughed. "I think I like him."

"Just a very old one." Wrex shrugged, giving Liara a gentle nudge beside him.

"Right, Tali, you're staying on the Normandy. You'll just be a liability at the minute. Liara-"

"Don't worry, I'll stay on the ship." She cut in, not wanting to make a big deal out of staying behind.

"You're with me, I need someone that can overpower a krogan since the salarians get Wrex." Shepard continued, ignoring the interruption. Liara gulped under the pressure before looking at Garrus. "Up for out shooting a few geth?"

Garrus smirked back at her. "At least give me a challenge."

"Let's not wish for things to get any harder,okay Garrus." Shepard laughed turning to face Kaidan and Ash. You'll be on the ship Kaidan. Stay with thebomb when we deploy it."

"Aye Ma'am." he replied stiffly, but not willing to question her orders.

"Going to be weird... you know." Ash sighed to both of them. "Going under someone else's command."

"I'll be fine, don't worry. Same goes for you as Wrex though, follow Kirrahe's orders."

"Don't worry Skipper." Ash said patting Shepard on the arm, "I should go get familiar with their command structure."

"Ye, I should probably go help convert their drive core," Kaidan said as the two of them walked off towards the salarian ship and Kirrahe.

"Not going over Wrex?" Shepard asked looking back to the krogan.

"Nah, I don't want to scare them all." He laughed.

"Fair enough." Shepard stated, starting towards the Normandy's open cargo bay. "So... since we've got some time to kill, exactly why didn't you recognise the rachni when you first saw them?"

"I wasn't alive during the war Shepard, I'm not that old." Wrex huffed.

"No, I just meant... not _that_ old, how old are you exactly?" Shepard asked in surprise.

"I saw the rebellions, and the genophage." Wrex answered begrudgingly, "And do we really strike you as the sentimental type?"

"Point taken." Shepard said quietly, watching as the krogan stormed past her into the ship.

"So where the hell do you keep the ice?" The krogan bellowed from within the cargo bay, causing the team still around her to snicker, since Wrex's walk had continued to become more awkward since his encounter with Shepard's boot.

* * *

Shepard always hated the waiting. If there was a mission to be done, she wanted to do it, not sit around cleaning her weapons, waiting for someone else to give the order to go. Unfortunately, since they needed to convert a drive core into a bomb, that's exactly what happened, sat on the floor of the cargo bay with her assault rifle in pieces. With most of the crew preparing the ship for the assault on the Saren's base, the hold was almost empty, apart from crew passing through towards the engineering level. One figure walking out of the lift towards the weapons lockers did however catch her eye.

"Are you still okay to go on this mission Liara. The odds are defiantly stacked against us." Shepard asked, not looking over at the assault of blue from Liara wearing the padded suit to go with her armor.

"I wouldn't be any happier left on the Normandy." the Asari stated, pulling armor plates out of her locker. "Besides, you need me."

"Well, apart from Wrex, you're the only one I've got that can stop a krogan in their tracks." Shepard sighed slotting her rifle back together.

"Well, I'll be much happier knowing that no one is going to to let a krogan crush you against a wall." Liara replied with a forced laugh, leaving the two of them in silence.

Shepard quickly finished the assembly of her rifle, returning it to the holder on her back, before she just sat, leaning against the weapons lockers as Liara struggled to assemble her armor. Shepard climbed back up to her feet before walking over to the asari, struggling to get the armor plate that attached to her back plugged in, and clipped on.

She placed her hands over Liara's, taking hold of the ceramic. Gently, Shepard pressed the plate into Liara's back, until the fastening just beneath the plate clicked, and each of the weapon slots powered up. "Takes practice." Shepard whispered to the asari, before returning to her spot on the floor.

Feeling slightly confused, and strangely warm in the climate controlled suit, Liara quickly placed the last of the plates onto her legs. She pulled the only weapon she planned to carry, her pistol, out of her locker, before shutting it, and sitting down against Shepard in silence. They both stared out of the open cargo door towards the golden beach just beyond, and the water lapping at the soft sand.

"I love the sound of water." Liara said quietly, resting her head against Shepard's shoulder. She waited silently for a reply until she decided it never came. "It always reminds me of home."

The two continued to sit in silence until Shepard decided to speak. "I don't want you on this mission... but... I don't have a choice." she sighed in defeat.

"I'll be okay Shepard. Trust me." Liara wispered.

"I do." Shepard insisted, placing her hand in Liara's. "I just have a bad feeling about this mission."

Liara squeezed Shepard's hand, "I'll be okay. We'll all be okay."

The two watched as six of the ship's crew members walked along the beach holding what appeared to be a large metal ball between them. "We should get ready." Shepard muttered climbing to her feet and opening a comm. "Garrus, time to go."

* * *

"_Shepard, can you hear me?"_

"Loud and clear Williams." Shepard replied to her helmet. "Beach seems clear for now."

Shepard's team was working their way along and around the coast towards the base of Saren's facility. The salarians had found a route up the cliff, and were weaving a path through the dense jungle towards the main entrance of Saren's base, while Shepard's team was working towards what appeared to be a drain for the labs, emptying straight out into the planets oceans. Unfortunately a small, highly eroded peninsula was between them and the outlet.

After starting to move between the tall spires of rock that remained, Ash was heard over the comm again. _"We're in position, Shepard. Just give us the word when you're ready."_

"Looks like Saren has a structure up ahead. We're good to go when you are." Shepard replied, checking her thermal clip one last time.

"_Kirrahe here Commander, we'll open fire now. The numbers are against us, so any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated."_

"Understood, Shepard out." Shepard answered closing her side of the comm. "You two ready?"

"Yes Shepard." Garrus and Liara replied from each side of her.

"Find a good nest Garrus, let's see if we can't cause them a bit of trouble." Shepard ordered, dashing towards a rocky outcrop. "Liara, stay on my heels."

The first shot from Garrus dropped a geth, alerting the rest to their presence, quickly setting up their own shields to protect them from fire. Shepard's assault rifle quickly overwhelmed several of the shields, leaving Liara too throw the geth out into the open, where Shepard and Garrus easily destroyed them. With the small outpost quickly cleared of geth, the three of them moved up to look over the systems.

"What have we got, Garrus?" Shepard asked kicking a geth unit over.

"Looks like targeting for something. Probably to help triangulation or the defence turrets." Garrus replied from a console.

Shepard fires her shotgun casually into a power box before looking towards the ramp down. "Let's get moving again. Longer we hang around here, the more time the geth have."

As they stepped back into the shallow water at their feet, Kirrahe's voice came over the comm. _"__Their__heavy turrets are down. All teams press forwards to the edge of the jungle."_

Encountering only a small patrol at they reached the far side of the peninsula, the team made quick progress towards their entrance to the facility. As another of Saren's site's came into view, Kirrahe's voice came over the comm again. _"They're calling for satellite strikes against out positions. If anyone can see a weak spot, take advantage of it."_

Shepard squinted at the site clinging tot he edge of the cliff, a large satellite disk sitting on the top. "Think you can do anything about their signal Garrus?" Shepard asked gesturing towards the site.

"Need to get a bit closer." Garrus complained, looking into his scope.

Shepard broke out of cover sprinting towards the facility, opening a line of communication to the Normandy. "Joker, can you get to orbit?"

"_Sorry Shepard, AA towers are still online, they'll shoot us down before we get to five thousand feet."_

Shepard's rifle lit up, spraying the site with fire before Joker even finished his reply. She managed to duck into cover just as fire started hitting around her. Liara landed beside her, throwing a barrier up to shield them as Garrus stopped just short of the rock with his sniper out. Quickly taking his shot, they all watched as one of the supports on the satellite disk appeared to give way, dropping the disk off the roof, taking several geth with it. Shepard and Garrus quickly took out the remainder of the geth, before they all continued along the narrowing beach.

"_Satellites aren't firing, find a weak spot Shepard?" _Ash asked over the comm.

"Don't make me find too many, or they'll realize something's wrong." Shepard responded.

They approached Saren's site at what appeared to be a outlets from the site's generator. They quickly cleared the geth guarding the outlets, leaving the empty tunnel beside that lead up towards the lab facilities clea when more chatter came over the comm.

"_Their air cover is retreating to refuel, take the opportunity to find cover men." _Kirrahe ordered his teams over the open comm.

"Can we do anything to help them?" Garrus asked, watching as a swarm of drones appeared from over the facility, heading towards what appeared to be a spire sticking directly out from the cliff.

"If we shoot anything on that platform, they'll know we're down here." Shepard incised, looking up towards where Garrus's rifle was aimed. "Can you see any damaged drones?"

"Got a few that can't fly straight, what are you thinking?" Garrus asked, tracking the movements of one of the drones.

"One shot, try and crash a drone into their fuel tanks. If you can detonate the hydrogen that have up there, it'll bring the while platform down. Hopefully they'll think it's an accident." Shepard ordered, approaching the pipe.

Garrus fired a single shot, causing a single ship to drop and land on the platform. He waited for the explosion, cursing when it didn't come. Turning his back to the beach and sea, he followed Shepard into the tunnel, up towards the main facility.

* * *

"Their air support should be back any minute. Maintain cover, and keep the pressure on." Kirrahe ordered from just besides Ash.

"I don't see any signs of them." Ash replied looking down the scope of her pistol. "Could Shepard have managed to stop them?"

She barely had the chance to shoot a geth in the head, trying to flank them in the cover of the trees before an explosion shock the ground beneath them. Everyone looked up in time to head the blast, watching as a large plume of smoke started pouring up into the atmosphere from the opposite side of the facility.

"I guess she found another weak spot." Ash muttered before taking another shot.

* * *

"You said this was a drain, not a sewer." Garrus complained, trudging his way up the slime covered incline of the pipe.

"I hate sewers." Liara whined with a shiver just behind Shepard.

"It's not a sewer, it's a drain." Shepard insisted from the front.

"Thorian dens, frozen wastelands covered in rachni, and now sewers. Always the classy woman Shepard."

"It's not a sewer!" Shepard shouted backathim as the pipe finally levelled off.

The top of the tube opened up to a grating at the top, letting a small amount of light in from the room above them. With no voices coming from above them, Shepard forced the grate up enough to look threw the gap, finding only what appeared to be an empty room with large containers lining one side of the room. She pushed the grate off with a clatter, and pulled herself through the room using a small inlet on the side of the pipe for a foothold. She quickly pulled Liara and Garrus up after her after checking no one else was in the room.

A high pitched voice however made every jump. "Let me out." Shepard and Garrus instantly pointed their riles towards the source of the voice, a salarian pressed against he glass door of one of the containers, wearing STG armor. "Let me out." He pleaded again.

"What happened to you?" Shepard asked cautiously approaching the cell.

"The... geth... they... they captured me. Saren... he... tortured me. They... filled me with drugs. He filled my mind, spoke to me. I can still hear him." The salarian quivered. "Just... let me out."

"Sounds like they put him through the same thing they did to Benezia." Shepard whispered to Liara.

"Sounds quite likely." She replied quietly. "I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, but I don't know if we could trust anyone that has had that happen to them."

"We're going to blow this whole place up. The least we can do is let him try and run for it."

"Bomb!" The salarian shouted in alarm, looking around the cell in alarm. Before anyone could react, the salarian started running between walls before running head first into glass door with a loud crack, leaving a green smear down the glass as he slid down.

"I hope we don't see to many more people Saren has done this to." Liara said quietly as she gripped Shepard's hand tightly.

"We need to get moving." Shepard ordered, pulling her hand back from Liara to keep her assault rifle ready as she approached the only door leading out of the room.

With Shepard and Garruseitherside of the door, it opened before they had a chance to activate the controls, showing a large krogan filling the doorway. Reacting on instinct, Liara threw the krogan back into the lab it was walking out of, landing on what appeared to be a husk. Sparks flew out from the crushed corpse, leaving the krogan unconscious, but the noise was more than enough to attract the attention of every other occupant in the room, including several more krogan, and what appeared to be more STG members.

With Liara throwing singularities into the room to limit the movement of the occupants, Shepard and Garrus managed to quickly kill or disable most threats. Liara however quickly cleared the remainder using several warp fields to detonate the singularities, quickly dispatching of anyone still remaining out of sight, leaving the lab eerily quiet. Apart from the broken lab equipment, the walls of the room were also lined with tanks ofwhatappeared to be water. Each however appeared to contain an infant krogan

"Garrus, see if you can get into their security with any of these consoles." Shepard ordered, not looking away from the closest tank.

"Sure thing." Garrus replied, stepping up to a console, and tapping the side of his helmet. "Tali, you hear me."

"_About time Garrus, I was starting to worry. Hook me up, and I'll have their defences down in seconds."_

"Have fun." Garrus laughed, connecting his omni-tool to the console.

"Shepard?" Liara asked stepping up behind the Commander as she approached the tank. "Are you all right?"

"Ye." Shepard mumbled in response. "I just didn't expect to see them, and not like this." She placed a hand on the glass, looking in at the small life. "At least it will be quick."

"They wouldn't have a life under Saren's rule anyway. He probably does the same to them as he has to the salarians." Liara offered, trying to comfort Shepard. "We're doing the most merciful thing we can for them."

Shepard laughed lightly. "Now you're doing my job." She turned around looking away from the tanks. "Garrus, are we good to go?"

"We've disabled all the security sensors, but if you want, we can activate alarms on the opposite side of the facility, takesomeof the heat off us." Garrus replied, looking up from the screen on his omni-tool.

"They've already gotenough to worry about over there, I'd rather as many of the salarians survived as possible." She commented, pulling her assault rifle out again.

"_Shepard? Bad news."_ Joker said over the open comm sounding quite alarmed. _"We've just picked up Sovereign entering orbit."_

"Nothings changed joker. Just sit tight in stealthmode until we get the AA guns offline." Shepard replied, leading everyone to a back door in the lab, away from the tanks full of soon to be deceassed children.

"_Will do Shepard, just giving you a heads up since Saren is probably on board if he's not already down there."_

"Thanks Joker, Shepard replied as she closed the channel, opening one to Ash as they continued down a walkway outdoors. "Ash, how are you guys doing over there?"

"_It could be a lot worse, the salarians can certainly hold their own, and Wrex seems to have made it his mission to take down every single one of Saren's krogan." Ash replied, sounding out of breath. "What exactly did you say to him?"_

Shepard smiled to herself. "I just gave him a bit of perspective. We've been through one of Saren's labs, looks like they've been doing more than just breeding krogan. Let us know if things get too much for you guys to handle, we're moving on towards the AA towers." Shepard informed her before closing the channel, as they entered into another building, leaving several geth in a heap outside.

The room appeared quiet, with nothing but a desk, and an elevator at the far end. The three started walking towards the elevator before a noise from behind the desk caught their attention. Shepard and Garrus pointed their rifles at it immediately, while the desk began to gently float up realing a terrified looking asari cowering in what had been the footwell.

"Please, don't shoot. I just want to get out of here." shebegged, throwing her hands up.

"We're not going to hurt you. Who are you?" Shepard asked trying not to sound threatening, lowering the barrel of her assault rifle slightly.

"Rana Thanoptis, I was hired as a neurospecialist . But this job... it's just horrific." the asari whimpered. "You think the indoctrination only affects prisoners? When I started here, my first test subject was my predecessor. Sooner or later, he'll want to do the same to me."

"I though this was meant to be a breeding facility?" Shepard asked calmly, trying not to worry the scientist.

"Not this level, we're study Sovereign's effects on organic beings, at least that's what I assume. The results are... terrifying." The asari replied shivering at the thought. "Unfortunately, this job is a little more permanent that I had planned, otherwise I would have left already."

"If I let you go, how can I trust you not to turn as soon as we turn our backs?" Shepard asked, raising the rifle slightly to point at the Asari's shaking legs.

"I-I can help you. I can give you access to Saren's private lab. All of his personal files, his own research. It's all just up this elevator." The asari said, moving over to the security controls on the elevator. She placed her palm on the reader until the doors opened. "Complete access, see. Will you let me go now?"

"We're blowing this facility up with a nuke. If you want to get out alive, you'd better start running." Shepard answered, lowering the barrel of her rifle to the floor, giving the asari a smirk.

She gave everyone an alarmed look, before running out of the room in a panic, inthe direction Shepard's team had come from.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you Shepard?" Garrus asked with a smirk.

"Let's just hope she reads the job description next time." Shepard laughed, stepping into the elevator.

* * *

Saren's lab offered little in the way of light. The small room was dominated by a raised walkway, ending at nothing, while the rest of the room was dominated by a very familiar looking spire, glowing with green energy.

"**Is that... an actual working beacon!**" Liara shouted in shock, rushing towards the large object.

Shepard managed to catch up with her, grabbing the asari by the waist before she made it half way to the beacon. "You really don't want to go near that thing." Shepard assured her, giving it an evil look as she released Liara.

"You're going to use it... aren't you?" Liara asked, giving Shepard a worried look.

"We need to stop Saren, we need to know what he knows, and we know I can survive these things." Shepard replied angrily as she stepped towards the beacon.

A familiar sense of weightlessness overcame her as the beacon lifted her up in front of it before images began flashing across her vision, slowly blotting out the beacon, followed by searing pain cutting across her head, before everything went black as a large metallic form lunged towards her.

* * *

A/N: As always, please review.


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